It's All in How you Play
by ChaosKirin
Summary: (Finished! Crit welcomed - Any kind.) After Voldemort's defeat by the infant, Harry Potter, Quidditch is starting up again at Hogwarts. One team, in particular, wants the cup... But their season is full of one problem after another.
1. Slytherin Versus Gryffindor

It's All in How you Play

By SilvyrWing

Chapter One – Slytherin Versus Gryffindor 

It had been a few years since anyone had played Quidditch. Some said eight, others said nine. The truth was actually somewhere around eight and a half, but the time didn't matter as much as the fact that, well, it just hadn't been played. Professional teams still met, of course… The players were even known to say that the risk made it all the more entertaining. Of course, the games were always rather secretive, though, and it wasn't until a day before a contest was actually played that anyone knew where it was going to be. It was, after all, for everyone's personal safety.

School matches, however, were a different story. With He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named on the loose, most headmasters and headmistresses thought it better if the sport was just cut out of school schedules altogether. There was protest, of course, but there was always a chance that _He _could get in… And while security of the world's magical schools had never been breeched, the Ministry of Magic had decided unanimously that the Quidditch field was (If there was such a place) the most dangerous place on school grounds. They strongly urged the individual institutions to heed their warnings – or face heavy repercussions. 

The Ayers Rock Academy of Sorcery in Australia pulled their program first, followed by the Salem Witchcraft and Wizardry school in North America. Durmstrang and Beauxbatons held out until almost the very end, and it wasn't until the Ministry visited Hogwarts personally that their program went down.

All because of the fear of a wizard. True, it _was _a wizard-gone-bad, but still, just a wizard. Paranoia ran high in those days, and it wasn't until an infant somehow defeated the Dark Lord that order started to return among those that practiced magic.

It was almost two years to the day since Lily and James Potter had died; two years since young Harry Potter went into hiding. Two years since Voldemort disappeared…

And Quidditch was returning to Hogwarts.

Bradley Orff held a yellowed, nearly disintegrating copy of the _Daily Prophet _out to his team so they could see the headline right on the front page. He had folded and unfolded the paper so much, that the words were almost unreadable… But no one actually had to focus on the body of the text; it was the headline that the captain of the Slytherin team wanted the others to see.

They were assembled in the locker room, all fully robed in emerald green. Their dragonhide gloves and boots were well-polished, and those that actually had their own brooms were still putting the finishing touches on their before-match upkeep. There was a long silence as they all looked at the front page… It wasn't that they hadn't seen it before, it was just that none of them could really believe it was true. "Quidditch Flies Home to Hogwarts" was clearly printed above the smiling faces of the four house captains.

"We have a lot to prove, I suppose," Brad said, finally lowering the paper. The rest looked at him, almost stunned by the presence of a voice in what had been a quiet locker room. He let that sink in… It was rumored that You-Know-Who had been, at one point in his life, in Slytherin house. The rest of the school knew it, and Slytherin wasn't exactly the most popular house in which to belong. Brad's dark eyes briefly rested on Lucas…

Lucas Redmond, perhaps, had the most to prove. His family supported Voldemort, and while they weren't Death Eaters, they certainly weren't reformed sinners. It was a wonder Luc turned out the way he had. He was quiet, sitting in the farthest corner of the locker room, hood pulled up almost over his blue eyes. A couple strands of blonde hair fell across his face. Despite the fact that he was quite shy, the boy nearly always accomplished what he wanted. Though somewhat of a follower, he was physically strong, and made a great Beater. He nodded a bit, indicating that he'd understood the captain's meaning. Brad moved on.

"This is the first game played at Hogwarts in almost nine years. I want you to have fun… But not _too _much fun." His eyes moved to Ryan Delveccio, one of his Chasers. The boy was quite a practical joker… Even looked the part. His long red hair was currently tied back, and his green eyes, usually alight with some sort of mischief, were currently focused and serious. Hopefully that seriousness would carry on through the game. Though Brad noticed the green and silver bumblebee-striped socks that stuck out above the top of the Chaser's boots, he thought it wise not to mention that they were against team dresscode – lest he find a creative hex on his broom during the next practice.

"I want a clean game," he said, looking next to another of his Chasers – Alexia Valenteen. She was known to have a rather nasty temper at times. "No hexes, illegal hits, or unsportsmanlike conduct. I mean it, Lex," he added, as she rolled her pale eyes. Her hair, too, was tied back. It was quite long, and as they'd been practicing in the rain, it looked almost black instead of its usual deep brown.

"You, too, Green," he continued, turning his attention to his last chaser. Viridian Green preferred to go by his last name for obvious reasons. Tall, dark, and powerful, he preferred to use intelligence rather than force to evade and stump his opponents. Brad was sure he'd figured out a way to use hexes, or at least some kind of potion, as their last practice has sent the other two Chasers to the infirmary with sneezing fits. Alexia chuckled a bit; Brad had a feeling she knew exactly what Green did, and she certainly wasn't telling.

"We're hoping for a quick game, since it's a bit stormy out…"

Green stood up, waiting to be addressed. Brad nodded to him. "I'm just wondering how you intend to do that, Brad. It's pouring out there."

Kylee Hasek stood, too. She was a little girl, and only in her second year at Hogwarts. Her skin was pale, and was, perhaps, made even lighter by very dark hair and eyes. She was also known to come down with some sort of illness and reside in the hospital wing for long periods of time. The fact was, she was fast, and she was dedicated, and Slytherin could not have asked for a better Seeker. When she spoke, her voice was soft, but firm. "It's been raining here constantly for… What? A month now? I think I'll be able to find the Snitch. I mean, I've been practicing in weather like this."

"That's the spirit, Kylee," Ryan interjected. He turned his attention toward the window, which was covered in a sheet of water. "'Course, I'm going to have a bit o' trouble findin' the Quidditch Pitch, myself, and that's a lot bigger than—"

"Alright, Ryan," Brad snapped. Green and Kylee sat back down on the bench as their captain paced a bit. "Positive. We need to think positive. And we need to win this game to prove that we're not the awful house everyone thinks we are."

Alexia stood. "Well, if you'd just let us—"

"No. No, I want this done fairly. That's how it's gonna be, guys. No questions. But I'm also not going to accept Slytherin walking off the field without a win, so figure out another way."

Somewhat miffed, Alexia thumped back down into her seat, glancing at her watch. "Twenty minutes left 'til we're due on the field."

"Which means a half hour 'til gametime," Brad finished, pacing in the other direction. "Cory, keep the Quaffle out of the rings."

"That's my job, Cap'n." He mock-saluted, tossing a bit of light brown hair out of similarly-colored eyes as he did so. Cory Emiz, tall and quick, was a superb Keeper… But he'd never been tested in a game situation before. Brad was afraid he'd crack under the pressure.

"I guess that's it, then," Brad shrugged, turning around to get the bats out of a locker. Keeping one, he threw the other to Lucas, who nearly dropped it before catching it. Hopefully, that wasn't a sign. The last thing they needed was to be dropping things all over the place while they were out there. He was about to send the team out to the field, but when he turned, he noticed Ryan standing importantly in front of the others, looking ridiculously pompous.

"I'd also like to remind our Chasers to score, our Seeker to seek, and our Beaters to… Well, I suppose it'd be unsportsmanlike to try to hit people with bludgers, wouldn't it? So I'd like to kindly remind our beaters to string together some flower chains while we're up there…"

"Legal hits," Alexia chuckled, beaning Ryan with a practice Quaffle as she pushed past him and headed toward the field. The tension was broken, and the others followed her, laughing and talking as if none of them had even heard a word their captain had said. Picking up the Quaffle, Brad studied it momentarily, before stuffing it in a locker and heading out toward the Pitch.

All he wanted was a win.

---

There were fourteen of them hovering above the field, dressed in robes of red and green. From the stands, it almost looked as if there were living Christmas decorations gracing the very sky. Flags and banners of similar colors popped up here and there among the students who had come to watch the game. Some were rooting for Slytherin, while others clearly cheered on Gryffindor. Most were bewitched in some way, and Brad, for one, found the flashing colors somewhat distracting. It wouldn't be easy to block them out, and with the roar of the crowd around them, it wouldn't exactly be easy to give mid-air direction to his team, either. At least the rain had let up to a drizzle. Grey clouds still hung in the air, but they wouldn't have to worry about getting the sun in their eyes.

He stared across the field at their rivals, and was satisfied to note that they, too, looked a bit nervous. One of their number – Brad wasn't quite sure which – went by the name of Charlie Weasley, and was supposed to be superb in nearly all the positions on the field. He was the one to worry about, as rumors spread through the school like wildfire about how he was going to easily crush Slytherin into powder, then sweep the pitch with their broomsticks after the game.

"Captains, shake hands," Madame Hooch called from below them. Brad almost forgot about that little formality, and was caught so off guard by it, that he dipped his broom a little too fast, and almost toppled himself right onto the field. There was a bit of laughter from the Gryffindor stand… He ignored it.

A tall red-haired boy approached him as he finally managed to jump off the broom and safely onto the grass. Their dragonhide gloves met in a handshake, the leather creaking as one tried to break the others' fingers… Neither was sure who'd initiated the spur-of-the-moment wrestling match, but it took Madame Hooch's intervention to pull them apart. They stared each other down for a moment, and the red-headed captain finally offered a slight smile and a nod, before mounting his broom and kicking back into the air. A moment later, Brad did likewise.

It happened in the blink of an eye… Hooch tossed the Quaffle into the air as she kicked open the restraints holding down the Bludgers. Two black iron objects went hurtling past Brad's head, just as Green claimed the Quaffle and headed down into the Gryffindor Zone. The Snitch, likely, had also been released, but it wasn't Brad's job to watch for that.

It wasn't until he was in formation behind Green that he even noticed that someone was commentating the game. The boy's voice – whomever it was – was nearly drowned out by the roar of the crowd.

"What a beautiful day it is today, folks! And the very first Quidditch game in years! Traditionally, the first match of the season pits Slytherin against Gryffindor…"

Green passed the Quaffle off to Alexia, who lost it to one of the Gryffindor chasers. In some sort of move he'd likely invented on his own, Ryan leaped over the opposing Chaser, seized the Quaffle, and continued on his merry way down the field. It actually took Gryffindor a moment to realize they were no longer in possession, and by the time they did, Ryan had scored. A roar went up from the Slytherin stands.

The commentator continued. "That's ten points to Slytherin, folks. Goal by fourth year Ryan Delveccio, whom if I'm not mistaken, is also famous within Hogwarts for his ineptitude with transfiguration—"

Again, Brad tuned him out as the Gryffindor keeper lobbed the Quaffle down the field to a rather slender female chaser. Wheeling around, he got as near as he dared to a flying Bludger, which changed direction to pursue him. Smacking it toward the slender girl, his breath caught in his throat as Alexia got just a bit too close, and would have gotten hit if it weren't for the Gryffindor Beater defending his own Chaser. Lex veered out of the way, completely missing the opportunity to defend, and Cory found himself blocking his first shot.

Lex circled the hoops, and Cory tossed the Quaffle to her, whispering something as he did so. She nodded, and circled the hoops once more as Lucas caught up so he could flank her down the field.

It was about then that they all heard the unmistakable sound of a Bludger being launched from the bat of one of the Beaters, and Alexia quickly passed to Ryan, who passed down the field to Green. As Alexia managed to get clear, Lucas counterattacked, sending the Bludger back toward the beater who'd launched it in the first place. Green passed the Quaffle back to Alexia, who had, in that time, slipped through the other team's Chasers, and she got her first shot away. It was, unfortunately, stopped.

The game went on this way for over an hour. Certainly, neither team wanted to back off, and by the time Brad finally raised his hand to call for a timeout, the score was dead even at eighty to eighty.

Tired beyond belief, the Slytherins landed at the base of their goal posts as far away down the field from the Gryffindors as they could manage. Brad looked at his team, noting the redness in their faces, and the heavy breathing. This was normal, due to the high-contact nature of the game. What _wasn't _normal was the fact that Kylee was also looking winded, and she'd spent the entire game circling the field looking for the Snitch. Not exactly a tough job…

"You all okay?" Brad asked, mostly for his Seeker. They all nodded. "This is going to be one of those games where the winner's the one that gets the Snitch…"

"They're almost all like that, you doof," Ryan spat. It was possible that he was attempting to be humorous, but he came off as being severely annoyed.

Brad continued. "This one especially. Kylee, have you seen the Snitch at all?"

"Only once, at the edge of the field. I lost it once I started after it." She was doubled over, trying to catch breath that shouldn't have been absent.

Momentarily taken aback, Brad paused before saying, "Well. Keep on it." 

She nodded.

"We can do this, guys. I'm proud of you… You know Gryffindor's supposed to be the favorite this year, and we're holding 'em at a standoff. Let's finish this." Brad put his hand into the middle of their huddle, and they all followed suit. It wasn't until he'd counted to three that he realized that he hadn't told them what to shout; that was okay. Each figured out something to yell to make noise… Whatever Ryan shouted sounded suspiciously like "Pork Patties."

Hooch blew her whistle, and they all took to the sky again, feeling much better after their short break.

---

Ten minutes later, there was a great cry from the stands as Kylee spotted the Snitch. Determined not to lose it this time, she dove after it, following the movement of the tiny golden ball with her eyes as it weaved in an out of Chasers and Beaters. Some of them had stopped to watch the game, while others listlessly carried the Quaffle back and forth on the field to make it at least _look_ like they were doing something. Feeling a sudden rush of air beside her, she saw that the Gryffindor seeker was neck-and-neck with her… And out of the corner of her eye, she could also see that he was on a Comet Two-Sixty. Her broom was outclassed by several years.

He was speeding up beside her, red hair tossed about by the wind they were creating between them. It was distracting, though she couldn't tear her eyes away from the tiny silver fluttering wings just in front of her. She had to concentrate. Had to keep on it… But he was pulling ahead, and Kylee's broom was already going as fast as it could go.

She barely registered the encouragement of her team as she went soaring around the Gryffindor rings, just a jump behind the red-haired chaser. The maneuver cost him in speed, as he was a bit larger than her. Kylee was able to surge ahead…

She reached out her hand, just about to close her fingers around the Snitch… It was close, so close, getting closer. She could detect the other Chaser nearing it, too, just off to her side. If she didn't get it now… Stretching a little farther with her left arm, she was just in the right position to grab it when the exertion caused a familiar tightening in her chest. Suddenly, Kylee was incapacitated by a coughing fit and had to pull out of the chase

When she next looked up, the rest of the Gryffindor team was mobbing the red-haired boy, congratulating him for netting them the first Quidditch win at Hogwarts in almost nine years.


	2. Odd Sighting in the Library

Chapter Two – Odd Sighting in the Library 

The coughing fit continued well into the afternoon, past the after-game dressing down in the locker room, and even into the dorms afterward. It wasn't until the sky was pink with the colors of the setting sun that the coughing finally stopped.

"You okay?" Erika Martin, another second-year Slytherin, asked.

Kylee nodded. "Little tired. The dampness down here isn't helping much, but I'm lots better now."

Erika bit her lip. "If you need to go to the infirmary, I can walk you there."

Kylee pointed to the books sprawled out on the table in front of her. "I missed History of Magic today after the game. I kinda have to finish the reading. And the essay." She rolled her eyes. "Don't worry about me."

A moment passed, and Erika looked unsure. After a while, though, she headed up the stairs to the second-year dorm.

Kylee wasn't exactly alone in the common room, though there was enough carpeting and other such padding to dim the noise down to a dull murmur. The Slytherin living space was in the Hogwarts dungeon, which meant that sound, at one time, easily reflected off the damp, stony walls. Someone had at one point, through either enchantment or simple decorating finesse, actually made the common room quite quiet and comfortable. The crest of the house hung on the walls at various intervals, and those were interspersed between elaborate tapestries and paintings of landscapes where the flora and fauna actually moved. Though it was dark for the lack of windows (Except, of course, in the sixth and seventh year dormitories, where the living space actually extended into the first floor) there were many enchanted lamps that kept things lit. Plus, there was nearly always a steadily burning blaze in the fireplace.

Kylee was sitting on a huge Oriental rug at one of the tables, just in front of a large sofa. She wasn't too near the fire, as the scent of it occasionally triggered another attack of coughing, or sneezing, or both. Still, she could feel the warmth from it, and was comfortable. Idly, she paged through her book; the prospect of writing a history essay wasn't as bad as the memory that she'd actually cost her house the match.

"Shoulda waited a little longer. Shouldn't have overextended myself. I could have had it…" She kept talking to herself, and while her eyes were skimming the text in front of her, she wasn't actually registering what she was reading. After a while of this frustration, she closed her book. All she'd written on her parchment so far was, "A Brief History of the Hows and Whys of the Great Fairy Revolt."

The Great Fairy Revolt, which had only lasted six hours, had a full thirty pages of text dedicated to it.

"Hey. How you doin'?"

Kylee turned around. Alexia was leaning against the back of the giant sofa, still in her Quidditch robes and looking as if she'd just run a few miles.

"Brad kept you for practice," Kylee observed.

Alexia looked away. "Yeah. He thought you seemed a little to sick to stay… I can't say I disagree." She paused so she could hop over the back of the couch and sink down into the fluffy cushions. "Brad was pretty upset."

"He wouldn't even look at me," Kylee noted.

Alexia remained wisely silent for a while. The only sound was the crackle of the magical fire, and the once-in-a-while drip of water from somewhere in the dungeon. After a few moments passed, Kylee re-opened her book, and began trying to read the topic about Fairy Military Organization, in which the leaders of the Revolt attempted to tame riding beasts. Unfortunately, it turned out that rats enjoyed the occasional Fairy as a snack.

"It wasn't just you," Alexia said. "I wasn't doing a great job out there, either. He just really wanted to pull off a win."

"We were doing fine right up until the end," Kylee retorted. She set the quill down over a paragraph about the Unfortunate Troll Stomping Incident of 1334. "I mean, I know I can do better, Lex. I just hope he gives me another chance."

Alexia laughed. "You really think he's gonna pull you after just one game?"

"You mean, he's not?"

"No. He was actually concerned about your health." She smiled. "Didn't say so, but when I was on my way out, he asked me to check on you. Make sure you were alright." She slid onto the floor, idly grabbing the history book and flipping through it. It was well-known that Alexia hated history… At least, the Quidditch team did, and had endured her complaints about it for the entire season. She was also one of the only known students in the decade to try to try and play a prank on Professor Binns. Smiling, she commented offhandedly in a fake American accent: "Sir! The Fairies are revolting!"

Taking the book back, Kylee rolled her eyes. She knew what was coming next; the joke was old. "We already knew they were revolting. Now they're _rebelling._"

Laughing, Alexia stood up and headed off toward the dorms. "Ah, a comedy classic," she chuckled as she disappeared up the stairs. "I'll be studying if anyone needs me."

---

By the time Kylee was allowed to resume regular Quidditch practice, there was already light snow falling. Granted, it was only four weeks after the ill-fated game against Gryffindor, but the temperature dropped dramatically in that time. The usually present autumnal bridge between summer and fall never really happened.

There had been a couple cooler days here and there, but for the most part, winter was already showing itself in full force. The leaves were the only indications that it was not quite past fall; they still clung to the trees in frost-covered shades of scarlet, yellow, and orange.

She clutched the note tightly in her gloved hand as she made her way from the castle to the pitch. There was a bit of a climb down on the way there, which winded her a little. Two weeks rest really had her out of shape. She'd have to make up for lost time.

As she mounted the low rise leading up to the field, Lucas, who was watching from the sidelines, and strapping his gloves around his wrists, noticed her first. He smiled, waving her up. "Alright, Kylee?" he asked. She nodded, looking upward to see that Brad was running a game of Quick-pass with the Chasers.

"Doing better," she answered.

"Next game's against Hufflepuff. Then Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Gryffindor again. Last game's Ravenclaw this year. Brad just got the final schedule." He, too, turned his attention to the practice going on up above. Alexia passed to Green, who caught it and back-handed it toward Cory, who was guarding the rings. He was just able to tip it away. Brad retrieved the Quaffle, and passed it to Ryan and the process began again.

"We'll beat Hufflepuff," Kylee said.

"Most likely," Luc replied, shifting his weight as Alexia got a shot past Cory. "They don't have much in the way of a team… Green's been scouting 'em a bit while they practice."

"Is that such a good idea?"

Luc shrugged. "He says they saw him anyway. Didn't really seem to mind too much, so I guess there couldn't have been too much harm."

Kylee liked the Hufflepuffs. They alone were the most approachable of all the houses. They seemed to like everyone equally, and their Quidditch matches were solely for fun. Most of the Slytherins didn't appreciate the kindness for which the Hufflepuffs were famous; they only saw them as pushovers and muggle-borns not deserving of the title of witch or wizard. It was almost frustrating at times.

Then again, to most Slytherins, Slytherin was the only house worth being in.

Kylee crossed her arms, leaning back against the stands. She wasn't going to say too much on the topic herself. She knew Luc wasn't fond of the Hufflepuffs, and Green really hated them. Arguing about whether or not they were entitled to attend Hogwarts was just something that was taboo to discuss.

Brad finally seemed to notice that Kylee was on the field. After giving some midair instructions to the others, he touched down on the pitch. Lucas, who'd now put on both his gloves and his boots, offered a quick wave to them both before grabbing his broom and taking off.

"You look better," Brad said.

"I _feel_ better," Kylee returned, still watching the sky. She paused, then said, "You never came to see me while I was out."

Brad made a big show of watching the others wheel about above the pitch. Kylee could tell he was thinking of some sort of excuse. Finally, he offered, "We've been learning a couple new moves. It's kept me busy."

They both watched as Alexia passed the Quaffle to Ryan before taking off toward the castle. There was still technically an hour left of practice, and Brad usually didn't let people just leave without reason. He seemed to pick up on what Kylee was thinking, and he turned back to her.

"She said something about O.W.L.s earlier," he explained. "Studying and such. She wants to be a Healer, you know, so I suppose it's okay…" He didn't sound too certain.

"But…?" Kylee prompted.

He looked toward the castle, then back at his Seeker. "…But she's been acting pretty strange lately. And I know you're different years, but… Is there any way you could keep an eye on her?"

Kylee rolled her eyes. "She's always weird."

It was true. She wasn't much of an outright practical joker like Ryan, but she did have a strange, dry sense of humor that not a lot of people could appreciate. She found her own jokes hysterical, though, and always became quite frustrated when people didn't laugh. The truth was, half the time she was so serious, it was hard to tell whether she was joking or not.

"Just… keep an eye on her. It's not like I'm asking you to spy or anything." Brad's face was quite severe. Worried, even. "The rest of the team's noticed, too. I mean, how could they not?"

After pondering this for a while, she said, "…I'll watch her. But I'm not guaranteeing I'm going to tell you what I see. I think you're just being paranoid."

"Right. Well, I'm going to let the Snitch go. You ready?"

---

Practice finished up about fifteen minutes later than intended, mostly due to the fact that Brad insisted on teaching Kylee a couple moves she could use to try more easily catching the Snitch. Staying above it and only diving when she was sure she could grab it would add a final burst of speed she could use to overtake the other Seeker. He'd given her a bunch of other tips, too; enough so that whatever she was learning was getting all jumbled around in her head, and she needed a while to sort it out.

Instead of heading to the Common Room, she turned and headed upward to the library. At least it would be quiet in there. Even if there wasn't a lot of noise in her House, there was enough so that it would be distracting. There were only a couple hours left before her Astronomy, class, too, and the library was closer to the high tower. Kylee wasn't sure if she could deal with climbing more steps than she had to.

She was still a bit muddy from a couple of the dives she'd had to do right into the snowy ground. Well, she wasn't really supposed to fall off her broom, but she'd been moving fast enough so that when she pulled up to slow down, she'd been thrown off. It wasn't until the last bit of practice that she was finally able to devise a way of not falling off. The on-duty librarian wasn't too pleased to see the mud-caked girl flop down on one of the old wooden chairs, but she didn't say anything beyond the purposely-audible syllable of disgust.

Taking her notebook out of her bag, she began jotting down what she could remember about what Brad told her. Sorting out the details on paper actually helped, as she was able to recall more than she thought possible… It wasn't until she had just over four pages of various scribbled diagrams and messy writing that she actually looked up at the clock; she'd been sitting there for an hour.

And there was Alexia. Well, at least she'd been telling the truth about the fact that she was leaving practice early to study. Her arms were full of leather-bound books, including a copy of _Quidditch through the Ages _and the _Quidditch Rule Book Minus Six-Hundred Eighteen Fouls. _Brad would be happy to hear that she was studying the game as well as her O.W.L.s.

Interestingly enough, there was also a book that didn't seem to have any sort of title on the spine, though it was marked with the green 'Restricted' tag. This book was tucked under her arm as if she was trying to hide it. She obviously had permission to have it, however, as she hastily handed it to Madame Pince, who stamped it and handed it back. Last time Kylee checked, all the information for O.W.L.s could be found _outside _of the library's restricted section…

What was Alexia studying, then?

She slipped the book back under her arm, where it was mostly concealed by the folds of her sleeve. This did, at least, cover up the restricted tag. As Alexia hurried past, Kylee quickly ducked her head and pretended to write a little more. When she next looked up, Alexia was gone, and it was time to head to class. Packing up her things, she realized that even though she'd meant to have her mind on Quidditch for the remainder of the afternoon, she was suddenly thinking about what Brad had said.

By the time she made it up the stairs to the Astronomy tower, she was out of breath and somewhat dizzy. She wasn't coughing, at least… That was a plus. Hopefully it meant she was really getting better. For the past year, Kylee hadn't felt her best.

She was the only one on the tower in green robes, as she never bothered to change out of her Quidditch clothes. No one seemed to mind, though. Around Hogwarts, if you didn't play Quidditch, you followed it. A Quidditch robe was practically an acceptable alternative to the school uniform.

She leaned forward on the parapet to catch her breath. The crispness of the night sky was actually helping a bit. It was clear, too. The stars would really be visible, as there were no clouds to obscure them.

After a while, Kylee turned back around, and started setting up her telescope with the other students. Erika waved at her from across the tower, and as she looked up, Kylee caught a glimpse of the full orange moon just rising above the horizon.

It sure was a beautiful night.

---

It seemed to take forever for her class to end. The cold air eventually started to become irritating, and while she was able to plot the correct constellations on her Starchart, by the time she was done, she wasn't sure they were in exactly the right places.

The Slytherin Common Room was a very welcome sight. It was warm, and at this time of night, it was mostly empty. Trudging in, Kylee dropped her books and broom off in front of a large, ornate coffee table and flopped down on a cushy armchair.  The heat from the fire was just reaching her face, and it felt good; she was so tired. Perhaps she could just spend the night down in the Common Room and no one would notice…

She'd just drifted off when she was shaken awake rather violently. Grudgingly, she opened her eyes to find herself face to face with Lucas. He didn't waste any time with formalities, and just cut straight to what was on his mind.

"…I just talked to Mellissa McCormik," he said. "Alexia's not in her room."

Mellissa was another Slytherin fifth yeah, who was quite well-known for her love of underhanded gossip and passion for spreading rumors.

Kylee rolled her eyes. "I was sleeping, Luc."

"Yeah, I know, but…"

"Brad already told me to watch her. Don't worry, she was studying today, just like she said she was gonna." She rolled over, trying to pull her robe in front of her face.

Luc kneeled down next to the chair. "Did you see the moon tonight?" he asked in a whisper.

Suddenly, Kylee was no longer sleepy. Not only had she seen the full moon in her class, but she'd earlier seen Alexia with the restricted book…


	3. Knowing the Signs

**Chapter Three – Knowing the Signs**

The whole team, minus Alexia who was studying, and Kylee, who was visiting Madam Pomfrey, was gathered in the locker room the next day prior to practice. Lucas and Kylee mutually agreed that it was probably best if they told the others about Alexia's condition.

"I can't believe it," Brad said, a rather skeptical look on his face. 

"Look, the signs add up. My parents…" He paused, looking at each of them. "They were really interested in the Dark Arts. I know the signs of a lycanthropy when I see it." Luc bowed his head. Though he was from a long line of pure-blooded wizards, he wasn't really fond of his parentage. At least it gave him an advantage when it came to studying certain subjects. "She's been acting distant, hasn't been concentrating… Kylee caught her last night coming out of the restricted section of the library. Plus, she wasn't in her dorm last night."

Ryan's eyes were wide. "And last night, the moon…"

"It was full," Lucas confirmed, nodding. The room was silent for a while as the rest of them took this in. It really did seem suspicious. 

"But what about last month? And the month before?" Brad stood up, brow furrowing. "She was fine. A little loopy now and then, but that's just how she is."

"There are werewolves in the woods," Cory said, also standing. "At least, that's one of the rumors flying around the school. She could have gone in."

"The one night of the month the moon is full," Brad retorted. "_Night _being the key word. Do you really think anyone in her right mind would do _that?_ Besides, most werewolf attacks end in death. It isn't in their nature to leave survivors."

Which, as far as Lucas was concerned, was either very lucky for Alexia, or very unlucky. "She _does _want to be a healer. It's possible she went in looking for a way to help them."

No one said anything for a while. They all just sort of looked at each other, giving random significant glances every now and then. One of Alexia's passions was studying the Dark Arts… Not to hurt others, but to help them. It was definitely in her character to venture into the Forbidden Forest looking for werewolves to aid. A long time passed before Brad spoke again. "I see I'm the only one that's not convinced."

Green, who hadn't yet spoken, approached the others. "I'm not entirely convinced myself. It's got too many holes. But the fact is, we should probably be careful. There's ways to alleviate the symptoms, but there isn't any cure."

"Maybe that's what she was doing in the library," Ryan said. "Looking for something she could do."

"There's books about werewolves outside the restricted section," Brad pointed out.

"Not ones that deal with countercurses and Dark potions," Luc returned. "She had permission to be in there, which means the teachers know. They're trying to hide it, so they're letting her try and help herself. I think it makes perfect sense."

Finally, Brad conceded. "Alright. What do we do then?"

"Nothing," Ryan said instantly.

Cory shook his head. "We really have to think about this. Do we want a werewolf on the team? I mean, if someone finds out…"

Thunderstruck, Ryan looked at him. "…We _know _Alexia. She's not a bad person."

"But werewolves are dangerous," Cory stated. The rest of them nodded. "Maybe not Alexia… You know, when she's not running around the forest… But just being associated with one could…"

"She's coming," Brad interrupted, looking out the window. She was still a ways off, heading down the hill that led to the pitch. "…She _does _look rather tired."

Ryan approached the window, before turning to the others. "Look. We're not completely certain yet, right? It might just be a coincidence. We'll just wait until next month. If she's gone again, then we'll know."

When Alexia entered the locker room, she was greeted by five abnormally happy faces. She blinked. "I'm here a half hour late, and I didn't miss any practice. You're slipping, Brad."

"…Just happy about our impending win tomorrow," he chuckled, ushering everyone outside.

---

The game against Hufflepuff was, as expected, quite easy. There was barely any point to it, though it was actually a fun game. Halfway through, the Slytherins relaxed, and quit being their normal, competitive selves. Green, of course, continued scoring, and Lucas continued batting the Bludgers at whomever happened to be in the way, but Kylee actually had a nice conversation with the Hufflepuff seeker as she searched for the Snitch, and Cory talked on and off with the other team's Chasers as he stopped all their shots.

About an hour into the game, when Slytherin was ahead two-hundred-sixty points to thirty, Kylee finally spotted the Snitch and went tearing after it. Though the other Seeker was right on her tail for nearly the whole time, she was able to get the little winged ball without overexerting herself. Consequently, Slytherin got their first victory of the year, and it had been a thoroughly enjoyable game. Everyone was almost sorry to see it end.

"They weren't so bad," Lucas grudgingly admitted on his way back toward Hogwarts after the game. Green grunted in reply, as the rest of the team went their separate ways. 

"Mudbloods," he muttered, looking back toward the Hufflepuff practice still going on above the pitch. 

Lucas shrugged. He wondered, however, if his dislike of the House was his own, or a prejudice created by his family. "They are. Most of 'em anyway. Thing is, I'm starting to wonder if maybe—"

"You're from a line of Purebloods, Luc," Green said. "Doesn't it make you mad that they let _them _into the school? Doesn't it get to you how… ignorant to magic the rest of their family is? They're Common, Luc. One step above Muggles. And… I don't mind Muggles so much, but it's when they send their kids to Hogwarts…"

Luc kneeled to re-lace his boot. "…So if one of these Mudbloods married a witch or a wizard, wouldn't that make their kid Pureblooded?"

"…Not… really," he said, though he didn't sound entirely convinced that his argument was valid. "Quarterbloods, then. And there's no way to get that dirty blood out of their line. There just isn't."

"Hm," Lucas offered thoughtfully. And they walked the rest of the way back to the castle in silence. Upon reaching the entrance hall, Green headed down to the dorm, and Lucas turned and headed for the library.

"Mudbloods," he wondered to himself, pulling the hood off his head. It was a term that was beginning to have less and less meaning to him. The more he thought about it, the more he wondered how one born with the ability to produce magic could be said to have dirty blood. Sorcery was a state of being. An energy present in the very blood of a human being that could be channeled and used. Though not inherently magical, people were able to harness the energy of creatures like Phoenixes and Unicorns through use of wands.

It was confusing.

Even so, Lucas had little use for the Hufflepuffs. Most of them were overly trusting and friendly. Not all, though; a lot were known for their dedication, their sense of duty, and fairness. Some, Lucas thought to himself, were dedicated enough to be Slytherins, except for the fact that they were Muggle-born.

He leaned on a banister, looking down into the library at a group of fifth year Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws studying for their O.W.L.s. Ravenclaw tended to have a large share of Pure-blooded wizards, too, though there were a few Muggle-borns. The difference between Slytherin and Ravenclaw was that none of the Ravenclaws seemed to mind a Mudblood in their midst. That would drive some people – like Green – absolutely crazy.

Still, they seemed happier for it.

He headed toward the back of the library, just outside the entrance to the restricted section, where the books on Dark Arts were stored. There weren't any books on werewolves checked out – he knew, as he'd checked them all out at least once before - but that didn't really mean anything. If Alexia had permission to be in the library's restricted section…

Well, there could potentially be a lot more books in there.

He pulled one of the older volumes out of the shelf and started flipping through it, walking toward the front desk as he did so. It was time to do a little research of his own.

"Alright, Lucas?"

He looked up toward the familiar voice, noticing he'd walked right past Alexia. He tried to snap the book shut and hide it as quickly as he could without looking like he was trying to hide it. Still, Alexia frowned.

"…Doing more research?" she asked. It was casual… Was it too casual? Did she suspect that they knew?

"Yeah, just a little," he responded, leaning back on a cart of to-be-shelved books. "You know, for our tests and stuff later in the year."

"…Right. I don't mean this to be rude or anything, but… You're pretty well-read on your Dark Arts. Any reason you're checking out a first year book?" She tried to peer around his sleeve to see the book's title, and Lucas earnestly hoped it was well-hidden. The first-year materials tag, however, was clearly visible on the spine.

He arched his eyebrows. "Are you kidding? I like to re-read the basics every once in a while. Everyone should." He looked down at the books she was holding, noting one with graying leather that bore the restricted tag. When she saw he was looking at it, her smile faded.

She turned the books so that neither the titles nor the tags were visible. "I have to get going," she said loftily, hurrying off before Lucas could question her. Unfortunately, it seemed as if she'd already checked them out, as she hurried right past the desk and out of the library. He eyed the book in his hand, turning it over once or twice, before flipping to chapter three.

"Fidgety, restless, avoidant," he muttered, pointing to each of the items on the pre-chapter summary in turn.

---

Viridian Green should have been in a good mood. They'd won their game against Hufflepuff as they knew they would, and they'd even made up the points they'd lost in the game against Gryffindor. He'd only gone to his dorm long enough to change into more comfortable clothes. As classes were over for the day, he was just wearing a sweatshirt and jeans, instead of the black robes he usually had to wear.

After changing, he headed for the grounds, and was taking a walk among the greenhouses. There weren't a lot of people around, except for those unlucky enough to still have a class this late, though he was able to avoid those people by detouring around the main herbology house.

Lucas had given him a lot to think about. Plus, there was Alexia to worry about. If she was a werewolf – and all the signs seemed to point in that direction – she was a danger to the team, and to the rest of the school. What if she forgot one day? What if she transformed in the middle of the school?

He leaned up against a young willow tree, pulling an apple out of a pocket in his cloak. He tossed it in the air a couple times before taking a bite… In the distance, the herbology class was letting out. There was a sudden rush of voices heading off toward the castle.

"One problem after another this year," he muttered to himself, tossing the apple again. This time, it fell to the ground. Slightly miffed at losing his snack, he kicked it. It rolled a few feet before coming to a stop at someone else's feet. Green looked up at her.

"I say you walk past the greenhouse," she explained.

He noticed the Ravenclaw patch on her robe, and the blue and bronze scarf that was currently dangling over her shoulder. She wasn't attractive, really. Her brown hair was sort of wind-blown, and she was wearing large glasses that rested on a bit of a crooked nose that looked to have been broken at least once. The thick lenses were magnifying her brown eyes, making them look quite out-of-proportion to her face, and she was wiry to a point of being undernourished. She was, however, quite familiar.

"You're the Ravenclaw keeper," he said. At least he knew why she'd followed him.

She smiled. "Glad you recognize me. What're you doin' out here alone?"

"What are you doing following me?" He returned.

She rolled her eyes. "I was at the game earlier. I just came to compliment you. Those were some nice shots."

Slightly mollified, he said, "It was just Hufflepuff."

She shrugged, looking up at the sky. "It's gonna snow. I'm heading back to the castle. You want to walk with me?"

He considered saying 'no,' and that he'd come outside to think for a reason. That he didn't want company, and he certainly didn't want to hold a conversation with a rival Quidditch player. However, when he looked at her again, her eyes were actually kind of pretty. And maybe she was more slender than she was wiry. He found himself pushing off the tree to follow her.

"So, you were at the game today?" He tried to remember her name, but couldn't seem to recall it.

"Yes. I'm Anna Emerson, by the way. And you're…" 

"Viridian Green. Everyone just calls me Green, though." They walked on in silence for a while. "So, what were you doing? Spying on us?"

"The whole school was there," she said, chuckling a little. "I guess you could say we were watching what you guys were doing. And I can guarantee we'll bring it up in practice tomorrow."

He laughed. "Fair enough, I guess. Anything to prepare for the game, right?"

"Top secret. Sorry." Her voice was serious, but she was smiling a bit. "I don't think we'll have much of a problem beating Hufflepuff. Don't know whether to be proud of that fact or not."

Green shrugged. He really didn't want to go back to a conversation about the oversaturation of Mudbloods on the Hufflepuff team.

It seemed like no time at all passed as they headed back to the castle. They actually had a lot in common… Both had a love of Quidditch, of course, and they even rooted for the same professional team – the Kestrels. She was a sixth year just like him, liked the same books, and hated the same classes…

They stood in the entrance hall for a while, chatting about the last World Cup and whether they'd be able to ever afford to go themselves, and what kinds of brooms they used for their matches, and then Anna had to go.

"Hey," Green said as Anna turned away. She looked over her shoulder. He smiled. "Hogsmeade next week… I haven't been in a while. Do you want to go?"

She grinned. "I'd love to," she responded. As she sidestepped off toward the Ravenclaw dorms, she looked over her shoulder a bit too long… And nearly crashed into a troop of First-years.

So she was a bit clumsy. Green could live with that.

---

The next weekend couldn't come quickly enough. Between studying for a Potions exam and Quidditch practice, time seemed to have slowed to a crawl. Finally, though, the week was over, and The Day, as Green had taken to calling it all week, finally arrived. He hurried off from an early morning team meeting amid the jeers and catcalls from the others… Green had fallen for someone? No one could believe it. Though he told them all that Anna was just a friend, by the end of the week, even he knew it was a date.

He and Ryan were the only two on the team going to Hogsmeade, but Ryan pretty much had his own agenda. Brad and Alexia were staying behind to work with Kylee – who wasn't old enough to go – on catching the Snitch. Cory had already seen Hogsmeade quite enough in his seven years at Hogwarts, and didn't really feel like going again. Lucas said something about going to the library to look up some stuff.

That all meant that Green would be walking to Hogsmeade alone with Anna, which suited him just fine. After he cleaned up and got changed into what he hoped were presentable clothes, he waited in the entrance hall for her. As the other students streamed out, he thought for a moment that he'd missed her… However, it wasn't long at all before she came down the stairs. Though she still wasn't exactly pretty, she'd combed her hair, and she wasn't wearing her glasses. When she saw him, she waved.

"You look different today," he commented as she skipped off the last step and onto the landing. It was what he was supposed to say, after all; at least, it sounded right to him. In any case, it made her blush a bit, and that had to have been a good sign. He considered offering his arm, then thought better of it, and just asked, "Are you ready?"

She nodded, and they joined the line of students waiting to leave.


	4. Slytherin Versus Ravenclaw

**Chapter Four – Slytherin Versus Ravenclaw**

"I think you've got that one down," Brad said, waving up to Kylee, who'd just captured three thrown golf balls in a row after performing a rather remarkable mid-air half-twist. The young Seeker dropped them back toward the ground. That particular move was also supposed to add a bit of speed if she needed it… Apparently Ryan, who'd been scouting out the Ravenclaw team, reported back that their Seeker had a pretty nice Comet broom, and it was new. Therefore, it was fast.

Kylee landed between Brad and Alexia. "I think the Snitch is going to move faster than these," she commented, kicking the golf balls toward the bucket sitting in the middle of the Pitch.

"It's still good practice," Lex responded. Brad had been watching her lately, and hadn't seen any remarkably odd behavior the past few days. Neither had Kylee reported anything back that was highly out of character for Alexia. In fact, it might have been his imagination, but he thought that maybe she was acting a bit _too _normal. Lucas did say that she saw him looking at the restricted books she had from the library. It was possible that she suspected that they knew, and was trying to cover that up.

Brad, however, still wouldn't admit he was entirely convinced. He actually did still have a bit of doubt. Would Dumbledore actually allow her to stay at Hogwarts if she was, indeed, a dangerous werewolf?

Plus, if she'd been bitten, there would certainly be an injury… Unless, of course, that had healed the first time she'd transformed…

"Brad? Are you listening?" Alexia was waving her hand in front of his face. "Kylee thinks she's ready for you to let the Snitch go."

"Right. Yeah." He shook his head, clearing his thoughts, before leaning down over the open trunk. The Bludgers were struggling to get away, but they wouldn't be flying on this particular morning. Not yet, anyway. "Lex, d'you have the scope?"

She nodded, holding out a tiny little compass-like device. In case Kylee couldn't retrieve the Snitch, the compass would point to where it was. Of course, they'd still have to try to catch it, but at least the scope would make it easier. Kylee shook her head, though, when Alexia held out her wand to activate it. "No, let me try to catch it first," she said. Nodding, Alexia pocketed the scope.

Brad opened the drawer containing the Snitch, withdrew it, and held it in his palm. When it detected the open air, it spread its silver wings and launched itself into the sky. As if it was a curious little bird, it circled around the three Slytherins for a moment, before taking off in a totally random direction.

"Alright, Kylee," Brad said. "Let's see what you've got."

As Kylee launched herself into the sky to chase the elusive little Snitch, Green and Anna were sitting down to lunch, just a couple miles away in Hogsmeade. It had been an easy walk there; they'd talked more about Quidditch, for the most part. Each hinted at more personal questions, but neither had worked up the courage to ask them yet. It seemed like they were stuck in a safe zone where conversation was concerned.

"I'll just have a salad to start," Anna told the waiter. Green ordered a butterbeer and the house special – whatever that was. He was feeling brave. The waiter nodded, bustling onward to the next table.

They'd mutually decided against going anywhere fancy. For a first date, The Three Broomsticks was just fine, and while noisy, they were able to find an out-of-the-way table near a window. Anna unwrapped herself from her scarf, tossing it next to her cloak on the chair next to her. She hesitated for a moment, before saying, "So, tell me about where you're from."

"Is my accent that obvious?" he asked, smiling. He was Irish, but was sure he'd picked up a bit of the English accent since he'd been at Hogwarts. "Ireland. We lived in a small community with a spell 'round it so the Muggles couldn't find it."

Her smile seemed to fade, just a bit, though. "So you're…"

"Pureblood, yep."

She looked away. "I was just going to ask if you'd had the option to go to the Irish school."

Green shrugged, trying his best not to look embarrassed that he'd wrongly anticipated her question. "I did, but Hogwarts is a much better school. My parents both went here. They were Slytherins, too."

She looked more interested. "Oh? What do they do?"

"My mom's a retired Auror. She stays home now with my younger brothers." The waiter returned with his butterbeer, and set it down before hurrying off again. "Pretty taxing job, that. Especially with You-Know-Who about. My dad still works in the Ministry in the Regulation of Magical Creatures department. What about yours?"

"My parents? Well, my dad develops Quidditch stuff… Brooms and the like. He never went professional, but he still plays amateur once in a while. That's why I got into the game in the first place." She seemed to get very uncomfortable in a very short amount of time. "My mom's a sales manager."

"You mean for your dad?" Green asked, looking about for their meal. After all, if her dad developed Quidditch supplies – which was quite interesting – he'd need someone to promote his sales.

Anna looked down at the grain on the table. "No. Green, my mom's a Muggle."

He nearly knocked over his butterbeer. For the longest time, he couldn't even bring himself to speak. Then: "You're a Mudblood."

She looked hurt. "Don't say that…"

He stood up, and the butterbeer tottered dangerously as the table shook. "…You didn't even tell me. You _knew _who I was, and you lied…"

Anna shook her head. "No. We just never got around to talking about it. I didn't think it would matter. I mean…"

He slammed his fist on the table, and she fell silent… So did half of the people there. Green was suddenly very glad he hadn't offered her his arm when they left Hogwarts. Still, he felt contaminated just standing there in front of her. Without even a goodbye, he grabbed his cloak, the hem of which finally succeeded in knocking over the half-filled mug, and left the tavern.

It was then that the waiter approached with a salad and a large plate of what looked to be some sort of stew. "Hell of a House, that lot," he said, nodding toward the door. "Don't care 'bout nothin' but theirselves, y'know." He set the plates on the table. "You'll still be payin' for that, though."

Anna nodded, but pushed her plate away. She wasn't really all that hungry anymore.

---

The holiday break came and went, more quietly for some than others. Many of the students went home, but a few stayed. There were a few Slytherins in that number, though of the entire Quidditch team, only Green stayed behind. Since what he called the "Incident" at Hogsmeade, he'd been rather avoidant, even to those he considered friends. He wasn't even really sure why… He liked Anna enough, it was just that certain things couldn't be forgiven.

He was pouring over stolen Ravenclaw formation notes when he heard the door to his dorm open. Expecting perhaps one of the other sixth years to be returning, he hastily gathered up the notes into a messy pile and flipped them over on his comforter. When he looked up, though, Cory was looking across the room at him. He almost looked disappointed as he spread the notes back out on the bed. "Welcome back."

Cory waved a bit. "Hey. I just ran into Anna Emerson on my way up. She had this for you." He held out an envelope, the front of which had been painstakingly inked in calligraphy with the name, "Green."

Green reached out and took it, looking at the little Christmas tree stickers that decorated the corners. It looked very Muggleish to him.

"Where's she been, anyway?" Cory asked, sitting down on the next four-poster over. "All you did was talk about her all the time a couple weeks ago. Then after Hogsmeade, you didn't even mention her. Not even in practice." He smiled a bit, dropping his bag with a loud _thud_ on the floor. "It's not 'cuz she's the Ravenclaw Keeper, is it? I wouldn't worry too much about that. She seems nice enough. Not the type to steal our team's formations," he added, pointing to the stack of parchment in front of his teammate.

"No, it's not that," he said, feeling his temper starting to rise again.

Cory waited for a moment for Green to tell him what it _was, _but he remained silent. Finally, the Keeper pointed at the envelope. "Aren't you going to open that?"

"Later."

"Alright," Cory said, slightly confused. "Well, I'll be upstairs then."

Green waited until he heard the door close, then he flipped over the topmost paper in the pile. It was a diagram of the Comet 120 – Anna's broom. Over the holidays, Green had been able to get a hold of one… Coming from a family such as he had did have its advantages. Granted, the broom wasn't in the most spectacular condition, but that was fine. Neither was Anna's.

Now all he had to do was break the weak anti-hex protections on the broom's core. That part would be easy. Switching the brooms would be the hard part. There was a bit of a plan in his mind, but he had no idea how he was going to pull it off… until just a day before the game, and it happened quite by accident.

January brought chilling temperatures and snow-covered hills as far as anyone could see. Some days were cold enough so that even the ghosts were inclined to remain inside the castle. Some could be seen idly floating about the roofs and pushing snow off – not that Hogwarts actually needed its roofs de-snowed, but it did give the spirits something to do while they waited for all the students to return.

The Quidditch teams all returned early, but that didn't come as much of a surprise. A couple days after the new year brought about the next game of the season, and that one was against Gryffindor and Hufflepuff. The former had, of course, won, but it was a closer game than some anticipated. Hufflepuff only lost in the end by one-hundred-sixty points, which meant that until the Gryffindor Seeker caught the Snitch, there was only a one-goal difference between them.

After the game, both Slytherin and Ravenclaw had practice out on the pitch. Neither was too keen on showing off the new moves they'd learned, so both teams were quite conservative in what they allowed the other team to see. Green brought with him the hexed broom, which had a somewhat ingenious hover charm on it, which would cause it to stop in midair and not move until it was asked in the proper format. He didn't, after all, want to hurt Anna. Just embarrass her enough so that she'd quit – or be kicked off the team. 

Of course, when Green saw that Ravenclaw was on the field, he'd put it aside. No use in giving away the surprise before it was due. He was somewhat frustrated by this, as the game was tomorrow, and he still hadn't been able to switch the brooms… His luck changed however, just after he'd put his gear away in the Slytherin locker room. He was carrying the hexed broom back to his dorm, when he rounded a corner and ran right into Anna, who was coming in from outside. Both of them dropped the brooms they were carrying.

For a moment, he expected her to ask why he had the same broom she did, as Anna already knew Green had the newer Comet 260. However, she was looking down at both of the brooms through fogged glasses, and when she took them off, she seemed just as frustrated. It was as she was cleaning the lenses on her robes that Green finally registered the fact that she couldn't see them properly.

"Here," he said, picking up the hexed one and handing it to her. He noted with satisfaction that they were almost exactly similar. His even still had the same yellowed property that hers did, and the bristles were splayed in a similar fashion. It was perfect.

She looked up at him for a moment, and smiled, and for one brief, nonsensical moment, he considered taking the bad broom back, and handing her the proper one instead. "Thanks," she said, after the moment passed. She took the offered broom, and headed to the Ravenclaw locker room.

It had been so easy. Of course, he'd still have to meet her before the game to activate the hex.

---

"It's a cold day around Hogwarts, folks, but that certainly doesn't stop two of our teams from competing on the Quidditch Pitch!" The announcer's voice boomed over the megaphone so loudly that both teams could hear it all the way in the locker room. "Today's match up is between illustrious Ravenclaw and devious Slytherin!"

"…We're not really devious, are we?" Kylee asked as she looked out the window toward the pitch. The whole school turned out for the match. Teachers had no excuse to keep anyone behind for classes, as classes hadn't even started yet.

"Some of us are," Alexia laughed as she pulled on the dragonhide gloves. "Some of us are downright sneaky." She grabbed her broom, and laced up her boots even as she headed out of the locker room toward the pitch. She was usually the first out anyway, but that was fine with Brad and Lucas, who remained behind while the others slowly filed out.

When the others were gone, Brad snapped shut the playbook that was resting on his knee. "So?" he asked, looking at Lucas.

"The holiday fell during the full moon." He shrugged. "She wasn't even here. I don't know. I did a bit of research, and she's been fidgety and nervous and… All the signs that would point toward… You know. And did you see her hands? There's all these little round cuts all over 'em. Like, maybe she got into a tangle with some thorns after she'd changed back."

Brad had noticed the little cuts, but hadn't really thought to ask about them. Now that he thought about it, though, she had been going out of her way to keep her hands hidden in her sleeves. "They could be anything. You know she works with animals now and then."

Lucas looked toward the pitch. "Game's starting. We'll have to talk later." Slinging his broom over his shoulder, he left, followed by the captain. Soon enough, they were soaring through the air to join the others. Fortunately, they hadn't missed anything, as Madam Hooch was still lugging the crate containing the Quaffle, Bludgers, and Snitch onto the field. Brad looked over toward Green who was actually saying something to Anna. He shook her hand, and they parted company, each flying back toward their own team.

Well, at least they weren't mad at each other anymore. For some reason, though, Brad noticed the fact that Green's hand was clutched around something in his pocket. It looked almost like his wand… But what reason would there be to bring his wand to the Quidditch pitch?

"Both teams ready?" Madam Hooch called from the ground. She had her broom in one hand, and the Quaffle in the other. Her foot kicked the Bludgers free from the case, and as she blew her whistle, she tossed the Quaffle into the air.

"It's Ravenclaw with the Quaffle! Jack Monaghan, a third-year student, passes to Jolene Amberal, who— Oops, that's intercepted by Alexia Valenteen, who's heading down the field now…"

As he usually tended to do, Brad tuned the commentary out, calling encouragement to Alexia as she passed the Quaffle to Ryan. He attempted a shot, but it was successfully blocked by Anna. Green seemed to linger on the Ravenclaw end of the field a little longer than normal, and almost missed getting out of the zone before their Keeper passed it up to one of her blue-robed Chasers.

Lex intercepted again, but not before Ravenclaw got a shot away and was heading for a rebound. She carried it as far as she could down the field, even beautifully executing a roll-and-dive maneuver that Brad taught them a couple practices prior. Eventually, though, she was hounded by both Ravenclaw beaters, and had to pass forward to Green. He started carrying it down the field, but suddenly stopped with just about everyone else. All attention was on Anna, who's broom seemed to be slamming her over and over again into the rings.

She held on as long as possible, which was admirable, but as the broom sank lower, she finally lost her grip and fell the last couple feet to the snow. The broom, its energy spent, flopped uselessly to the ground beside her.

Green was so shocked that he dropped the Quaffle. Despite its floating enchantment, it made it all the way to the ground, bouncing a couple times before falling still. 

One of the Ravenclaws started to land to help her, but there was already a medical team racing onto the field. Madam Hooch waved everyone back into the air, and before anyone could react, Alexia had the Quaffle.

Considering the fact that Ravenclaw no longer had a keeper, the rest of the game was rather easy. As per the rules, no substitutions could be made after a game had started. The only obstacles between the Slytherins and the Ravenclaw rings were three frantic Chasers.

By the time the Ravenclaw Seeker caught the Snitch, the score really didn't even matter. Slytherin still won by two-hundred points. Back in the locker room, Brad started offering his team a hearty congratulations when he noticed that Green wasn't there.


	5. Missing: One Chaser

**Chapter Five – Missing: One Chaser**

Though Green was running from the field as fast as possible, if felt like he'd eaten an entire Rock Cake. There was a feeling in the pit of his stomach that seemed to be weighing him down… As the cheers from the field grew slowly more faint, he couldn't get to the castle quickly enough.

He stumbled through the entryway, and nearly tripped up the stairs. There was only one thing on his mind, and that was getting to the infirmary. That's where Anna would be, unless…

He tried not to think about _that._

Did he actually care, though? As he rushed down the hall leading to the infirmary, he wondered if he actually cared about Anna, or if he was just feeling guilty that the hex didn't quite go as planned. At least there was no one to stand in his way… They were still all out on the Pitch, celebrating (or booing) the Slytherin victory.

As he neared the Infirmary, he slowed down, attempting to catch his breath before actually going in. He knew that Madam Pomfrey or the other nurses on duty wouldn't appreciate him barging into a wing full of sick or injured patients. At least her still had enough sense left to know that. Carefully, he pushed open the door, his lungs burning, demanding air… He was holding back his breaths though, fearful that if he was caught breathing too loudly, he'd be tossed out and wouldn't get to see if Anna was okay.

Green stopped to wait near the bed of a very young student… Possibly a second year by the looks of her. There was a chart hanging on the end of her bed, and as he awaited an escort into the wing, he flipped through it. Shortness of breath, easily fatigued… There was a note written in the margin. Something about cardio—

"Can I help you?" The voice belonged to the elderly Madam Pomfrey. Startled, Green dropped the chart back into place.

"Er… I was hoping I could see Anna. Emerson. She's a—"

"Ravenclaw, sixth year. She just came in from the Quidditch field." Pomfrey waved her arm, indicating for Green to follow her. They passed by many beds; when they finally stopped, Pomfrey held out her hand. "…She's been under some heavy trauma. I can't let you stay long," she said, and pointed to a space a couple beds down. Anna lay there on her back, eyes open, staring at the ceiling.

He offered one last look back at the nurse, though she was already heading away to tend to whatever she was doing before Green arrived. Suddenly nervous, he approached Anna's bed slowly, almost unwilling to disturb her.

"Hey, Anna…" He said softly. She turned her head a bit, wincing as she did so. Her expression wasn't tired, or pained. It was angry.

"I figured it out," she said softly.

Green's first thought was that he'd be thrown off the Quidditch team. He blinked, and his jaw dropped. "You—Are you—"

Her expression didn't change. "I'll be fine."

There was a long pause, and she continued staring at him. "…It hit me when my broom started going bonkers. You switched 'em, didn't you?" Finally, she turned away and Green was able to relax slightly. As she started at the ceiling, she continued, her voice barely above a whisper. "I knew it wasn't mine. Something felt wrong. But I didn't think you'd try to hurt me."

"It wasn't supposed to—" It was hard to get his words out. "It was only going to stop… You… That's not what was supposed to happen!" He took a desperate step forward, leaning on the banister at the foot of the bed. "I didn't mean to hurt you."

She didn't say a word. Didn't even whimper. It was unnerving.

The silence between them seemed to last forever, and then he turned, and left the infirmary. It wasn't until after the door was shut behind him that he actually thought of what he should have said to her. He headed back down to the dungeon, ignoring the others as they finally arrived from the game… There was so much on his mind…

February was perhaps the worst month of the year. If it wasn't snowing, it was raining ice... Of course, Brad had the team out on the field practicing three times a week, even though they had almost a month where they could have rested. Every day that passed, Green expected to get some sort of official letter kicking him off the team… Or even out of Hogwarts… But the day never came. The more they practiced for the Hufflepuff game, the more Green relaxed. It seemed as if he was in the clear.

But why? There were a couple times he spotted Anna, but each time he tried to talk to her, she'd hurry off and disappear into the crowd. At least she was up and about, and no permanent damage had been done. It was odd how much he wanted to speak to her, now that she was out of reach. He wanted so badly to know why she wasn't telling anyone about the hexed broom. 

And he also wanted to know why he was attracted to a Mudblood.

The answers weren't coming, though, and the more he pursued them, the farther away they got.

---

"Where's Alexia?"

Brad stood on the edge of the pitch, looking toward the castle as if the Chaser would somehow miraculously appear. Cory stood next to him, looking into the sky. The sun was just setting, and there was a full moon rising. It was huge, and ghostly white… There was no way this could be a coincidence. 

"A day before the game, and she's missing." Brad's voice was almost empty as he looked up at the moon as well. The others followed suit. They must have look ridiculous standing there, looking at the sky as they were, but everyone had the same thing on their mind.

Alexia.

The practice was less than fruitful, and Brad only kept them for an hour. Despite the fact that there was a game approaching on the morrow, no one had their mind on Quidditch. Ryan had missed three easy shots, and Cory failed to stop just as many. Kylee didn't even catch the Snitch without help; they had to use the compass to find it.

After everything was locked away, the others headed to the castle. Cory and Brad lagged behind, the chest of supplies carried between them. It was Cory that spoke first. "She'll be back by tomorrow, I suppose. You know… She was around the end of January. I wonder…"

"We might have just missed it," Brad said shortly, then fell back into silence.

It was true, Cory thought. If she was a werewolf, the teachers would be trying to hide it. But when she was expected…

"I was just hopeful," Cory muttered. Brad didn't respond. In fact, they walked the rest of the way back to the castle in silence; the only sound was the crunch of snow under their feet.

Cory pushed open the door, and they were hit with a welcome rush of warm from inside the comfortable confines of Hogwarts Castle. After stomping off their boots, the two boys headed in opposite directions; Brad down to Madam Hooch's office to drop off the trunk, and Cory down toward the Slytherin dormitories. There was so much going on now; so much to think about. It was almost unreal the amount of garbage they'd had to deal with already in one season. Now that they knew what Alexia was, should they tell someone? Should they risk her getting thrown off the team? She was a great chaser, but there had to have been dozens more waiting for the chance to try out…

He pushed the thoughts aside, shivering. Maybe they could keep it a secret. Maybe no one would have to know… She'd be back tomorrow. She'd be back in time for the game! It would work out just fine! No one would have to know except for the Slytherin Quidditch team.

Cory muttered the password, and the solid wall in front of him opened to reveal a door. He barely registered walking through it. The common room was full of people, all talking and chattering and excited about the upcoming game, and none of them knew that one of their own was mindlessly running around in the forest…

Sighing, he flopped down in an old leather armchair, and sank down into it. He realized how much of a mistake that was, as just after he'd settled in, Cory realized that he no longer had any desire to actually get up and climb the stairs to the seventh year dorms. At least he had a window, though… Perhaps through it, he'd be able to see Alexia returning from the forest? He was so tired, though. So out of it.

So he remained there, staring into the fire, idly tuning out the banter around him, until he heard a scream from up the stairs on the girls' side. He was on his feet in an instant, heart suddenly beating hard enough so that he could feel it. A moment passed before Mellissa McCormik appeared, skipping the last couple steps. She held a tattered book in front of her… It looked as if it had been clawed to shreds. Flecks of blood were already drying on the tattered pages.

Though no one really knew what it meant, Cory did. Alexia must have changed inside the school.

---

No one really slept well that night. There was talk here and there of monsters inside the school. Each tale began and ended leaving several key points out – such as how the monster had gotten in in the first place, and why nothing else was destroyed besides a book.

Cory didn't even try to sleep. He was sending messages to the others. Those he met in the common room he was able to tell without much trouble, though he had to send an owl around to Kylee since he couldn't go up into the girls' dorms. They met quite late in a corner of the Common room; though the Prefects disapproved, Brad insisted they were discussing Quidditch strategy for the next day, and it was of the upmost importance.

Since Quidditch was a valid excuse for nearly everything, the excuse was grudgingly accepted.

Cory had sometime during the night procured the tattered, blood-flecked book from Mellissa. It was lying on the table in the middle of their group, open to what everyone thought were the worst couple pages. Kylee was examining it.

"They're very small to be werewolf claw marks," she said.

Cory kneeled next to her. "Maybe she realized what was happening… Maybe it had just started, and she was able to get out of the school before she lost her mind. Nothing else was touched…"

"We _hope _she got out of the school," Ryan said. His voice was a gruff whisper. "They might have had to… You know…"

"Why didn't she get out of the school?" Lucas asked. "She must have known… I mean, I'm _not _a werewolf, and I've been watching the cycles of the moon, just because of her!"

"She might have just gotten too comfortable with the routine," Ryan explained. "Might have thought it was tomorrow night. It's an easy thing to miss, you know. I just hope she was able to get out before the teachers found her."

"Poor Alexia…" Kylee whispered, tracing her fingers along the tears in the pages of the book. It looked like she'd been studying the Standard Book of Spells when she'd changed. "Do you know if the window was open? Could she have gotten out that way?"

Cory shook his head. "Fifth year dorm. It didn't have windows… The door was open, though, so she would have had to go into the school to get away." He shrugged. "If she was still in her right mind, she might have gone up to the sixth-year dorm… Someone might have seen her, though. It would have been a big risk."

Someone had left a brand new ravenfeather quill on the table. Cory picked it up, twirling it between his fingers as he thought. "We could corner her and ask her what's going on. She'll be back tomorrow, you know. And she owes us an explanation. Maybe we could help her think of a cover story about why she's not in her dorm, you know?"

"You're sure she wasn't there?" Green asked.

Cory nodded. "I asked Mellissa who else was in the room when she got there. She said it was empty, which means Alexia wasn't there. And…" He indicated the common room. "I haven't seen her here, either." 

They all stared down at the book for a while longer before Brad spoke. "…I don't want to sound insensitive, but it's late, and we have a game tomorrow. We can't help Alexia now anyway."

Grudgingly, they accepted that Brad was right. One by one, they left to their dormitories. Cory took the torn book with him, shutting the quill inside of it.

He lay down on the mattress, placing the book beside him on the nightstand. Across from his bunk, the other seventh years were softly snoring. He could discern at least four different breathing patterns, all of which sounded as if they were sound asleep. After several minutes of sleeplessness, he stood, heading toward the window.

It actually looked outward to just above the ground level. Cory was lucky; he'd actually had this dorm since his first year at Hogwarts, and it was almost hard to believe that when he left, he'd be passing it off to the next class of Slytherin first-years. It was nice to have a room with a view, even if it was rather boring. At least it was better than the sixth-year dorm below him; their window was directly even with the ground. He'd heard Green complain about the fact that one could see worms moving about in the dirt right before breakfast.

He looked out toward the Forbidden Forest. The trees were so dark that they almost blended right in with the sky. If not for the light of the moon, Cory wouldn't have even been able to make out their tangled branches. He wasn't entirely sure what he was looking for… Surely Alexia wouldn't leave the cover of the woods before daybreak.

Had she even made it out of the school? 

---

"Cory? You awake?" Something jabbed into his shoulder. "Hey! Cory! Wake up!"

Gradually, Cory came back to consciousness, finding that he'd fallen asleep curled up in the depression around the window. As a result, everything hurt. Opening his eyes, he came face to face with one of his bunkmates. "…Dan?"

"You're due out on the Pitch, Cory. Better hurry."

Suddenly, if hit him that today was the game against Hufflepuff, and that the rest of the team was probably already out on the field. At least he was still wearing his robes from practice the night before… They were wrinkled, and he smelled terrible, but at least he was ready to go! Quickly, he brushed his teeth, then his hair… It wouldn't stay in place, but that was okay. They were going to be out playing a game anyway. Grabbing his broom, Cory skipped down the stairs.

He rushed past the others who were still milling about in the Common Room. If they weren't on the field yet, it was likely that there was still time before the game… He wasn't exactly late. Brad would want them on the field an hour early, though.

The weather was, to say the least, wet. As he finally made it outside, he wished that he'd remembered his cloak, as it was pouring down freezing rain. Usually, he'd walk to the pitch, but in this instance, Cory hopped on his broom and flew the rest of the way there. The locker rooms wouldn't be much warmer than outside, but at least it wouldn't be raining within.

As he approached the field, he could already see the Gryffindors (Who were all toting 'Go Hufflepuff!' signs) filing into the covered stands. They all looked so warm wearing their scarves and cloaks… For a moment, Cory wanted to be there with them, comfortable and dry. 

Remembering Alexia, he landed, ducking into the Slytherin locker room. He hoped they hadn't gotten a chance to speak to her yet.

What greeted him were five tired faces.

Alexia was not one of them.

"…Where is she?" Cory asked as he tried to wring out his robes. Bits of ice fell to the tiled floor. It wasn't going to be a fun game to play, that much was certain.

"Well…" Brad ran his hand through his hair. "We aren't really sure. But we're going to be playing the game minus one Chaser."


	6. The Raven in the Window

**Chapter Six – The Raven in the Window**

"Not… sure? How can you be not sure? She'd be back in the school by now!" By the expressions the others gave each other, he could tell that they'd already acted out on their surprise. Brad looked at the floor while Green pretended that there was something amazing to look at through the window. Lucas and Ryan also looked away, the latter of which went about lacing up his boots in the silence.

"She was probably just tired," Kylee said. "I went up to get her, but she wasn't in her room… Maybe she went to the hospital."

Tired… It was perhaps the most optimistic view any of them had. They all knew Alexia changed inside the school. It was possible the staff had to find a way to eliminate a rampant werewolf before it harmed any of the students. It would be kept quiet for a while, then someone would leak just enough information to start a rumor that would spread through the school…

Rumors had a way of either continuing things or ending things. Maybe it would become some sort of school legend.

For a moment, Cory wondered how it felt. How would he feel if he knew he was a werewolf, and that every full moon, he'd become some sort of awful monster? How would he feel if he was told that his condition was contagious, and that he could infect those around him? That even though he had people that loved him, he couldn't help but turn on them?

"We can't forfeit the game," Brad said. His voice was the catalyst that brought everyone's' thoughts back from the Forbidden Forest and back into the locker room. "At least it's against Hufflepuff. It would be nice if Alexia was here—" he added, when he got several incredulous looks from the others. "—But we can do this without her. If anything, we should win this one _for_ her."

There were several mumbles of assent. He certainly knew how to get the team's mind back in the game, Cory thought to himself.

Green finally turned away from the window. "Hufflepuff's out there. Doesn't look like the rain's letting up. We might as well go."

If anything, the weather felt colder and wetter than it had before. Now that he was no longer worried about getting to the locker room on time, all Cory could do was think about Alexia and whether or not she was okay. With his mind off of Quidditch, the coldness of the weather was really starting to get to him, and he often found himself shivering during the warm-up laps he was taking around the pitch. The people in the stands looked so warm and dry, all huddled together under their blankets… Some of them were probably magically charmed to provide extra warmth as well. Still, a few people found it within their willpower to remove their arms from underneath their covers and hold up signs cheering the teams on. Most of them rooted for Hufflepuff… In fact, the only section holding up posters cheering for Slytherin was Slytherin.

That was discouraging.

It was also the one thing that picked Cory's mind up and dropped it right into the game. Hufflepuff didn't even stand a chance! He wasn't about to let any shots through during _this _game!

The ice was stinging his face, and on more than one occasion, he reached up to wipe water from his eyes and saw spot of blood dotting his robes. Cory didn't care; neither did the others, apparently. Seconds after the Quaffle entered play, Ryan already had a goal.

Had they really resigned Alexia to her fate? Was this really her memorial game?

Cory stopped a shot, then tossed it a quarter of the way down the pitch to Green's waiting arms. He and Ryan played catch until they reached Hufflepuff's rings, and then Ryan put it through again.

The most unfortunate thing about the game was its length. Kylee spotted the Snitch several times, but Cory watched as each of the opportunities ended with the Snitch flying into the wind… Which in turn caused slivers of freezing rain to fall right into the Seeker's eyes. It wasn't just Kylee, though. The other Seeker was having the same problem; it was almost as if the Snitch was toying with them. Eventually, Kylee outsmarted the thing and watched it through a wide arc until she was finally able to catch up with it and grab it.

The game was easily Slytherin's with a score of 320 – 60.

It certainly hadn't been as fun as the first game against Hufflepuff had been. The rain seemed to be a deciding factor in that. Still, the good-natured captain congratulated each of the Slytherins in turn, and gave Kylee an especially hearty pat on the back for her capture of the Snitch. Surprisingly, even Green shook his hand, and when the captain got to Cory, it was almost tempting to ask the Hufflepuffs if they wanted to get together for an after-game party in the Great Hall. After all, they'd survived the torrent of lethal freezing rain, and that was an accomplishment all by itself.

Not long passed before those on the field felt it was in their best interests to seek cover from the rain. It hadn't let up at all in the two hours – almost three, really – that the game had lasted. As everyone hurried off toward the castle, Cory's teammates tried to find solace under the water-repelling blankets of the other Slytherins. Cory himself was able to share some sort of charmed raincoat with a second year student that insisted on talking to him all the way back to the common room about goal tending. The conversation would have been pleasant if the student hadn't continued to remind him that the Slytherin team would be needing a goaltender after the current year was up.

As was usual, there was a bit of a party in the common room. There usually was after a win… And even if the game hadn't turned out in their favor, the others in the house still would have procured some food from the kitchen, and they'd have a bit of a sore loser party. No one was really happy when they lost, it was just that the Slytherins tended to imagine the other teams' heads spitted on pikes and set up outside the school. For some reason, that was considered cheerful.

Cory noticed that Brad was trying to gather the others into a quiet corner to talk. However, as cold and tired as he was, he took advantage of the chaos to slip up the stairs and into the seventh year dorms. If Brad wanted to talk, they could talk _later._

---

Though the excessive warmness of the dorm was quite welcome when he first reached it, now that he was settled and dry, Cory found it to be near-unbearable. Evidently, the heat from the fire below had risen upward and stopped at the very highest point it could go.

It was still raining outside, but the room would have to be cooled somehow. If anything, his roommates would thank him later. He worked at the ancient latch and was finally able to get the window open a bit – enough to let some air in, at least. As he rubbed a towel through his hair, Cory flopped down on his four-poster, thoroughly drained from the match. Grabbing his _Standard Book of Spells, Grade Seven _from the nightstand next to him, he paged through it in an attempt to find some sort of simple healing spell that would get rid of the annoyingly stinging cuts on his face and arms. After searching for a bit and finding nothing that didn't require some sort of complicated poultice, he leaned back on his pillow and closed his eyes… He could deal with the annoyance for a day or so.

"Been holding down the fort up here, Gus?" he asked the grey owl that sat on a perch across the room. The old bird's eyes were partially closed, though he drew himself up almost regally at the mention of his name. Smiling, Cory finally drifted off to sleep, resolving that it would be much more restful than curling up in the dungeon window.

His sleep was mostly dreamless, except at the end where an annoying car horn eventually resolved itself into the frantic hooting of an owl. Cory awakened with a start, sitting upright as he tried to focus on Gus. The owl was still sitting in his perch, but he was looking toward the window. Just inside it on the ledge sat a horribly disheveled black bird that looked to be completely soaked.

Cory's first reaction would have been to get rid of it, though it didn't seem to be making a pest of itself. It just sat on the ledge staring at the floor.

"Wanted to come in from that storm, eh, fella?" he said to the bird. It looked up, staring at him for a moment with tired blue eyes. Cory reasoned that it was likely some sort of pet, as he'd never seen a blue-eyed raven before. The creature looked back out through the window, fluttering for a moment as if it were about to fly away… Then Cory realized that it wasn't thinking of fleeing; it was actually drying itself off… because the next thing the bird did was hop down to the floor.

"Yeah, you don't mind people, do you?" He spoke slowly and quietly, so as not to scare it away. It didn't seem to care, however. In fact, beyond initially looking up when Cory had spoken, the raven didn't seem to notice the boy was there at all. It took a couple steps into the room before nesting down on the floor, ruffling its feathers in an attempt to keep the warmth in.

Taking a chance, Cory stepped off the bed, gauging the bird's reaction. It looked up at him, but didn't seem to be nervous or upset in any way. He leaned down a bit, slowly reaching his hand toward it, and finally, he picked it up.

The first thing he noticed was the fact that it seemed to be bony and underfed. Second, was the fact that the bird's long, black flight feathers were dotted with red, and that its entire plumage seemed to have a green sheen to it. Cory didn't know too much about birds, but he was sure this one had to be a magical creation of some sort, as he was previously sure it was a raven, but it really didn't have the proper markings.

"I should get you to Professor Kettleburn," he muttered, thinking that the Care of Magical Creatures professor might be able to help feed the bird and get it back to proper health. Perhaps then, someone could find out who'd owned it before.

At the mention of going somewhere, though, the creature actually seemed to come alive for the first time, flapping about and making such a ruckus that even Gus gave Cory a scathing look. Having no other choice, he grabbed the damp towel from around his shoulder, and wrapped the raven up in it. It still fussed, but at least he'd be able to carry it now without it potentially getting away. He wasn't really in any position to take care of it, either, especially since he tended to fall asleep during Care of Magical Creatures classes.

It wasn't until he was heading down the stairs from his dorm that he even remotely considered that the bird he was carrying around could actually be dangerous. It had settled down a bit, however… If he could only get it up to Professor Kettleburn in a fair amount of time, he wouldn't have to let it go outside again. Poor thing. It had probably lived so long with its family that it didn't know how to find food for itself.

As soon as he stepped into the common room, he nearly ran into Brad, who was going the other way.

"Hey," Brad stated, stepping back in surprise. He quickly regained his bearing, though. "I was just coming up to talk to you…"

Cory shook his head. "Not now. I have to get this…" He held up the towel-sack containing the raven, who'd begun to thrash again as soon as it heard Brad's voice. "…To professor Kettleburn. It was in my room. I think it might be someone's pet… Some sort of raven, but it's different."

Brad shrugged. "I'll walk with you then."

Having no objections, Cory nodded, and they headed off through the dungeon wall and upstairs. Professor McGonagall, who rarely ventured down near the Slytherin house, was heading in the opposite direction. She nearly passed them by entirely, but just as they reached the top landing, she called up to them.

"…Boys? What do you have there?"

Cory held up the towel-sack again. "Some bird. It flew into my room… I was just going to take it to Professor—"

To their surprise, McGonagall smiled. "May I see it?" she asked.

"It might fly away, Professor," Cory warned, though he noticed that the raven had gone astonishingly still. Perhaps it had died? Worried, he unfolded to towel. The bird was still sitting there, eyes open, looking right at McGonagall.

Gently, she took both the towel and the bird, the faint smile never leaving her face. Cory and Brad looked at each other, confused; Brad looked as if he were just about to ask for an explanation when McGonagall turned back to them and spoke. "You may follow me, boys. This somewhat concerns you." Without offering anything else, she started back up the stairs. The boys, not about to miss whatever it was she was about to explain, quickly followed her right to her office, where she set the raven down on her desk. Calmly, she pulled up her own chair, before reaching into her pocket to retrieve her wand. She then conjured a chair each for Brad and Cory, who both sat.

McGonagall folded her hands in front of her, watching the raven intently. The bird itself was staring down at the grain on the desk. The Professor smiled again. "You'll have to register, you know."

To Cory and Brad's surprise, the raven nodded. McGonagall, however, didn't seem phased in the least as she continued. "They're already aware of your preliminary success, and… As we found several black feathers in the dungeon, they've already been notified that you've succeeded. You will, of course, have to sign the papers."

Suddenly, Cory remembered the quill he'd found on the table the night before. The puzzle pieces were starting to come together…

The Professor looked up at them. "She's been coming to me on and off for five years now—" She stopped, her expression surprised. "You both look absolutely bewildered… Certainly she would have told you _something?"_

Not knowing what else to say, Cory answered, "No, Ma'am."

McGonagall blinked. "Oh, well, then. Perhaps she should tell you herself. Why don't you change back, then?" 

The raven sat there, squishing its neck down into its shoulders until its head was almost invisible. Obviously, it – or she, rather, Cory corrected himself, was an animagus. He'd also come to the conclusion as to who it was, and when the realization hit him, he actually smiled. The tension had totally gone. All the worry, all the uncertainty… It just evaporated. Brad had come to the same conclusion as well. He reached out and poked the bird between the shoulders. 

"C'mon, Lex," he said. He was smiling, too. "We know it's you."

"I'd informed you that changing _back _was just as difficult as changing in the first place." McGonagall's tone became admonishing, but not unkind. "And now you're stuck."

"We… found a book up in her dorm…" Brad said. Alexia turned and stared at him. If ever a raven could look murderous, she came close. Brad, however, didn't notice. "It was torn up. We thought… We thought maybe…"

"She'd been acting weird for some time," Cory supplied. "We found the book, and it looked like a werewolf had… And, I mean, the full moon…" 

"An unlucky coincidence, I suppose," McGonagall said. "I assume she tore up the book upon the discovery that she could no longer read. Therefore, she couldn't consult the texts I gave her permission to borrow from the library. She's frustrated."

"…Can't read?" Brad asked. 

"Well, she does have the mind of a bird," the Professor answered. "Even if she has full sense of self, she's going to have to teach herself all over again how to do several things in this form – reading being one of them."

Alexia croaked a bit… The tone was almost annoyed.

"I can't help you," McGonagall said sternly, "Except to tell you that you should have read the part about changing back _before _now. You're going to have to form a sense of self in your own mind. It's not impossible, you know. I can't think of one animagus that hasn't been able to change back." She paused, contemplating for a moment. "Though Fargus the Skittish _was _stuck for three or four years. Then again, he had the mind of a vole."

She ignored the shuddering start Alexia made, and continued. "I also suggest not hiding from your house. The closer you feel to your human self, the easier it will be to change back. Emiz, Orff," she looked at the boys, and they tore their attention away from Alexia. "See that she gets back to the dorm. Make sure she eats something. Everything else is up to her. You're dismissed."

Brad and Cory stood, looking down at the raven that still sat on the desk. Now that they knew it was their friend and teammate, they were reluctant to pick her up. Finally, it was Professor McGonagall that lifted Alexia up, and, amid squawking protest, placed the raven on Cory's shoulder.

---

By the time they reached the common room, it had mostly cleared out, except for a few that were reading. None of them took a whole lot of notice of Brad, Cory, and Alexia as they sat down in a corner set up with beanbag chairs and floormats. It was out of the way, at least… not the most comfortable area of the room, but they could talk privately there.

Alexia fluttered to the table and sat there, looking tired and, if possible, embarrassed. As Cory went off to collect some food left over from the party, Brad sat down next to her on the floor, folding his arms on the table and resting his head on them. This way, he was eye-level with her.

"I wish you would have told us," he said. She stared at him, her face giving away nothing, as birds couldn't exactly make any sort of expression. Brad wished she could answer him, though; he realized it was probably just as frustrating for Alexia as it was for him. No, that was wrong… Knowing Alexia, she was going absolutely out of her mind. It was a wonder she appeared so calm.

Cory returned after a while, setting a plateful of cheese and crackers on the table and helping himself to a bit. Alexia stared at the selection for a while, as if somehow unsure about something, before taking a cracker in her beak. After crushing it to bits, she finally managed to eat some of it.

"You certainly still know how to make a mess," Cory chuckled. Alexia suddenly wasn't interested in the food anymore. She appeared to be embarrassed again, and looked away from them both.

"I don't know why you'd be ashamed or anything," Brad offered. "I mean, none of us here could do what you did, Lex. Just eat something, alright? Look, we won't watch if you don't want us to."

She turned back toward them, and for a moment, it almost seemed like there was a smile in her blue eyes… And she waited. Blinking, Brad looked from her to Cory, and they both turned away from the table, facing the other direction.

---

Because she wanted to keep it a secret, it wasn't long before the whole team knew about what had happened to Alexia. She was surprised to find that they were actually relieved, and found it quite hilarious that they'd been so sure she was a werewolf. Though her inability to talk to them was quite frustrating, at least they didn't cut her out of the team. They were determined to find a way to help her change back before the next game; as luck would have it, March was their month off. Every house had a by-month, and Slytherin's fell right when it needed to.

She really rather would have kept her transformation a secret, but that wasn't to be. Someone – no one was sure who – must have overheard something, and told a friend or three, who told their friends… Pretty soon, the entire house knew. And because there were many Slytherins with friends in other houses, it wasn't long before most of the school knew as well. It was everyone's topic of conversation for a day or two, but magic in any form was commonplace at Hogwarts, which meant soon enough, Alexia was left in peace. She even started attending classes again. Though she couldn't read the material, at least she could listen to the lectures. There was still hope that she'd be able to take her O.W.L.s in the spring.

At least McGonagall had given her top marks in transfiguration.

She flew over the Quidditch pitch – it was weird, to be able to fly without a broom, but it was one of the abilities inherent to her when she'd transformed. There wasn't much else she could do, though… Ravens weren't exactly known for their ferocity. Looking behind her, Alexia could see the others just leaving the school for practice. For once, she was early. It wasn't that she could do a whole lot, but she could at least watch and try to remember what Brad said to the others. At least her memory still seemed to be good.

Why did it have to be a raven? That was the question Alexia first asked herself when she changed. Why not some huge bird of prey? An eagle, or an owl… Even a falcon would have been nice. A carrion bird, though? She'd been so upset, that she meant to change back to human and never transform again.

That was when she discovered that she couldn't change back.

The day and a half of reflection Alexia had outside the castle afterward also led her to think about how her animagus form would have been some sort of reflection of herself. She certainly didn't enjoy eating rotting meat… The question burned in her mind for hours until finally she realized that her father had, at one point, been in Ravenclaw house.

After that, she was quite proud of her form. Embarassed, perhaps, that she couldn't change back, but after thinking about it, she really wouldn't have chosen anything else.

The others waved up to her as they collected on the field below. This wasn't so bad, really. At least she didn't have to write any essays.


	7. The Offmonth

**Chapter Seven – The Off-Month**

The beginning of March was surprisingly and considerably warmer than the entirety of the previous month. Instead of being below zero and rainy, it was actually somewhat warm. The air was still crisp, but with few clouds in the sky, the sun was allowed to shine and warm the ground below. With just over a month left to prepare for the game against Gryffindor, the Slytherins were having a team meeting in their usual corner of the Common Room, situated around a low table. Of course, "team meeting" usually meant that Brad tried to talk, while the others went about doing other things as they pretended to listen.

Cory and Ryan sat on the floor, while the rest either reclined in various beanbag chairs or couches. Alexia sat on Cory's shoulder, and open in front of them both was one of the books about Animagi which Alexia had checked out of the library. Cory was reading passages now and then, and while she was actually starting to be able to recognize and read most of the words, she didn't indicate that in any way. She liked him to read to her… Besides, he didn't seem to mind it, either. They'd never really talked much outside of Quidditch before, but Lex was finding that she was starting to really enjoy Cory's company.

The others seemed to notice that, too. More than once, they'd endured good-natured jibes about the impossibility of their relationship. It was all in good fun.

"All I'm saying," Brad continued, after Cory finished reading a rather boring passage about focusing on the Inner Self. "…Is that we have this game coming up against Gryffindor…"

"Really?" Ryan said. "I wasn't aware. Maybe you should tell us again!"

Brad ignored him. "We can't just sit around like this. That's just what they'll be expecting!"

"We've been practicing twice a week," Lucas pointed out. "And you've already decided that we'll be on the pitch three times a week starting Friday. Frankly, I don't see why you're worried."

Ryan was no longer paying attention to the conversation. He'd gotten to his feet and moved to hide behind the high back of the chair, peering around it as if spying on the rest of the team. "Ryan Delveccio here," he said, holding his hand up to his mouth as if speaking into a two-way radio. "Just as we expected… The Slytherin team is sitting around _talking about bloody Quidditch again! _Honestly, you'd think they had nothing better to—"

"Sit _down,_ Ryan!" Brad commanded. He rolled his eyes, but he was obviously fighting fiercely not to chuckle, as the others were doing. Ryan obediently took a seat on the floor.

"Look," the captain continued. "We really should be working on strategy here. On average, Kylee spots the Snitch an hour into the game. We have to hold Gryffindor off until then… Play a defensive match. What we need to do this time is leave everything up to our Seeker, and that's where we'll win it."

"But no pressure, Kylee," Ryan whispered.

"We also have to consider that Lex might still be out of commission," Lucas stated. The others were quiet for a moment… Alexia earnestly wished she was able to respond. Green smiled a bit, though. "We'd love to have you back, Lex, but it's something we have to think about."

She nodded.

"I don't want to pull in a sub," Brad pondered to himself. "But we might have to…"

"We're working on it," Cory said. His voice was measured, but somewhat annoyed. "Just give us a while." He flipped through a couple pages, and Alexia pretended not to be able to read the content.

Kylee, too, was flipping through the pages of a book. It was a copy of _Famous Familiars of the Seventeenth Century. _She claimed it was for research, but Alexia noticed her reading the page about ravens. Apparently, they'd been a popular companion many years back. Suddenly, she slammed her hand down on the book, finger pointing at a paragraph halfway down the page. "I knew it."

Brad threw up his arms, finally surrendering to the fact that they weren't going to get any Quidditch discussion underway any time soon. He did, however, turn his attention to Kylee and her paragraph. It was something she seemed to be quite excited about. "What did you know?" he asked.

"_Corvus Corax_," Kylee read, "Better known by it's common name, the raven, was a favorite among witches and wizards from the fourteen-hundreds on. These intelligent birds, though aloof and moody," (She paused in her reading, and everyone glanced in Alexia's direction) "…made excellent familiars. Like cats, ravens are self-sufficient and resourceful, and many situations arose where an exceptionally intelligent bird was able to help its master out of a difficult situation. They are also _gifted with the ability of speech, _and learn through repetition. There are several reports of ravens actually calling for help when their master was in trouble."

She shut the book, looking triumphantly in Alexia's direction. "It might not be much, but maybe… You can at least tell us what you need?"

Honestly, Alexia had never even tried to speak before. It was one of those things that just never occurred to her. She was an animal, which logically meant that she wouldn't be able to speak…

She tried it. The result was a dry caw.

"They'd form words differently, I bet," Kylee encouraged.

How could she form a word any differently than just saying it? As the others looked at her expectantly, she felt compelled to try again, but wasn't sure how. Focusing on a simple word – hello – she tried it again. The result was the same. Forming a sort of "recording" of the word in her mind, she attempted it again, and this time, it sounded remarkably like the word "hello."

Of course, it also sounded like a hollow recording, but she could talk! Or… At least she could say one word. Her mind was almost processing it as a new type of call instead of an actual word. Strange, but useful. She said it again, and again.

"Alright already!" Ryan said, reaching over to bat lightly at Alexia. Raising a wing, she batted right back.

Forming her mind around her own name, she attempted to create a call that mimicked it. After thinking about it for a moment, she was able to say, "Alexia."

Ryan clapped, looking ridiculously impressed. "Good! You can say 'Hello Alexia.' I'm sure that'll come in handy one day."

---

Ryan absolutely could not stand transfiguration. He didn't get the class… Why would you want to take something that was perfectly happy in its natural state – like a beetle, or a hedgehog… Or a teammate, for example – and turn it into something else? If he needed buttons, he wouldn't go out and dig up beetles from his yard to transform. He'd march himself to a Muggle store and purchase some buttons.

However, the fact that his fellow chaser was now a large-ish black bird got him thinking all over again about transfiguration. He supposed it had its uses. For instance, if he'd somehow cemented his feet into the floor of his room and happened to need a thimble, and there was nothing around but a housefly, he could see the immediate advantage in having the ability to successfully transfigure something.

Having borrowed Alexia's library book, Ryan was sitting in the Great Hall, having a bit of lunch, while paging through it. Most of it was pretty dry and boring, though he found it interesting that there were usually a scant handful of animagi every century. There had only been three in the nineteen hundreds at the time of the book's publication in nineteen forty-nine. And he remembered hearing Professor McGonagall say sometime in class that there were only a total of six registered animagi in the century, which made Alexia the seventh.

Registered. Which begged the question, how many _un_registered animagi were there?

Bored, he finally slammed the book shut and looked up from it, noticing that the Great Hall had cleared out since he'd arrived. That wasn't a surprise, really, as he glanced at his watch and realized he'd been there for over an hour. It was way past lunchtime, and he was missing class. Oh, well. One class wouldn't hurt. He looked around, wondering what he could do with this newfound free time…

Sometime along the line, Green must have arrived, as he was sitting at a considerable distance down the table from Ryan. Every once in a while, he'd look up at something across the Hall.

Anna.

Green would look at her when he was sure she wasn't looking. Oddly enough, Anna was doing the same thing.

Ryan couldn't understand why they didn't just get together. Green said something about Anna being a half-blood, and didn't seem to understand that there _were _actually a few Slytherins that weren't pure-blooded wizards. It just didn't seem like a terrible crime to befriend someone who was different. Then again, Ryan was familiar with the Muggle world a bit more than most, as his father's brother was a Squib. He'd spent a bit of time in urban Chicago.

Eventually, Ryan stood up and made his way down the table to where Green was sitting. "Why don't you just go talk to her?" he asked.

As if horribly offended at the recommendation, the other Chaser gathered all his things and simply walked away, leaving Ryan alone. 

…This was going to take some doing.

Figuring he really had nothing else better to do, he next headed over to Anna, sitting across from her. The girl was so absorbed in her work, that she didn't even notice he was there until he said, "Lovely day, isn't it?"

She jumped, nearly falling off her seat as she stared up at him. "…Oh. For a second I thought you— I mean, you sound like— Sorry."

Ryan shrugged. "We're both Irish. Must be the charm. We tend to knock girls right off their feet. Or… Seats, in this case. You're Anna, aren't you?"

Anna smiled a bit. That was a good sign… At least she wasn't going to get up and walk away. "Yes," she answered simply. "And you're… One of the Slytherin chasers. I'm sorry. I don't remember who…"

He held out his hand, and she took it. "Ryan Delveccio."

"Well, it's nice to meet you. Is there something I can help you with? I was just trying to sort out what I was going to study next year."

Might as well cut right to the point. "What's up with you and Green?" he asked.

Suddenly her passively friendly demeanor vanished, and her face froze in an expression that might have either been rage or fear. It could have also indicated that the sandwich she was eating wasn't quite as good as it looked, but Ryan surmised that it was one of the former emotions.

Then she, too, gathered her stuff, stood up, and walked away.

A few moments passed, then he said to himself, "They're a lot more alike than they even realize."

Perhaps transfiguration _could_ come in handy. Because he was bored, and because he had nothing else better to do, he was going to find a way to change both of them. Ryan was going to find a way to make them _like _each other again.

---

Cory jerked awake as Ryan ran past him. The movement also woke Alexia, who'd been dozing on Cory's shoulder for some time. Open in front of them, almost forgotten, was the book from the restricted section of the library… Unfortunately, they hadn't made much progress in reading between the lines of the text, and it didn't seem there was any magical cure for being stuck within an animagus transformation. It really wasn't so bad, though. Alexia missed Quidditch, but at least she could communicate – in one or two syllables at a time – and she was also close to Cory, who had, for some reason, taken a personal interest in returning her to normal.

It was sweet.

"I wonder what he's up to," the boy muttered, flipping the pages of the book until they were back on the page they'd been reading before they fell asleep. Alexia could actually read most of the text now, though occasionally a word that should be familiar to her ended up looking like a jumble of random lines. It was hard to override the raven's limited intelligence at times.

"I don't know," she replied in the stiff, almost mechanical voice that didn't really sound like her at all.

They watched as Ryan thudded up the stairs to his dorm, and then rumbled back down a few moments later, disappearing through the dungeon wall leading out into the corridor.

"Well," Cory said, after their teammate was gone. "It's getting a bit late, but we can read more if you want. As long as I can still wake up for class tomorrow."

Alexia hopped down onto the arm of the chair so she was a little closer to the book, which made it easier for her to see. Still, she turned back toward Cory, looking way up into his brown eyes. "…Why?" she asked.

He shrugged. "Because. If it'll help you—"

She shook her head, trying to figure out how to form the the questions she wanted to vocalize. It wasn't that she didn't know the words, it was just that transferring them from her mind to her voice was difficult. Why was he taking so much time out of his life to help her? They'd been acquaintances at best before, and now it almost seemed like there was more to it than that. It was creepy, really, considering she'd resigned herself to the fact that she might be a raven for a while. Maybe she'd set a record, like Fargus the Whatever, and be stuck for several years.

"Why?" she asked again.

She could see the conflict in his eyes. Finally, he said, "Because I want to."

Her ability to see in color was limited, but she was sure he was blushing.

He pretended as if he was reading the text, trying not to notice that Alexia was still staring up at him. Logically, she should perhaps feel sad that they were unable to have any sort of a proper relationship, or embarrassed, or something like that. Instead, she felt such a warmth and sense of belonging, that it was hard to understand.

"I should get up to bed," he mumbled. It was almost as if he'd misinterpreted her silence as disgust, rather than admiration.

"Stay," she said quickly, as quietly as possible. It still sounded impersonal, and she hated that… But at least Cory smiled, and settled back down into the chair. Alexia nosed the book shut, and Cory picked it up and set it on the table in front of him; to make sure no one took it, he then propped his feet up on it.

He fell asleep, then, with Alexia resting just next to him on the chair. She watched him for a long time, feeling relaxed, even happy. It took her a few moments to realize that was exactly how she'd felt before she became the raven. Holding that thought in her mind, she was finally able to release herself from the hold the transformation had on her.

The first thing she did was lay her head on Cory's shoulder. He didn't even wake up. Closing her eyes, she brushed the stray feathers off the robe she'd been wearing when she changed, and fell asleep.


	8. Kylee's Finest Hour

**Chapter Eight – Kylee's Finest Hour**

The first thing he felt when he woke up was the fact that he was warm, like someone had put a blanket over him during the night. He opened his eyes a bit, seeing that his feet were still propped up on the table, keeping the restricted book safe from any others that might have been curious as to its contents. There were a couple familiar-sounding voices from the dorms, and the grouchy dialogue told Cory that it was likely morning. He'd spent the whole night in the common room.

He yawned, stretching and taking in a deep breath of air. That's when he noticed that something smelled odd, and he paused, confused. It was only then that he noticed Alexia was sitting right next to him.

"I know I smell," she mumbled sleepily, her eyes still shut. "You would, too."

"Lex… You're back," Cory responded stupidly. Finally, she seemed compelled to open her eyes. 

"I can't believe you just noticed. You must have been tired." Lex slid out of the chair and onto the floor, kneeling and reaching back into her hair to pull the tie out of it. Her dark hair was dull and disheveled, just as the raven's feathers had been. "I would have awakened you, but you looked so…" She stopped speaking abruptly, looking back at Cory. He was amused to see that her cheeks were a bit red… It was the first time he'd seen her embarrassed. She shook her head. "I… was tired too. So I thought maybe I'd just take a nap."

"You should have taken a shower."

Her cheeks brightened in color. "That wasn't very nice."

"It's true." Cory smiled. Alexia hesitated, then smiled back.

"Is practice morning or evening today?" she asked, stretching her arms up over her head. "…The others'll want to know what happened. That's as good a time as any to tell 'em."

"Right after classes today. He's booked the pitch for a couple hours, starting around seven. Which means—"

"Be there early. Don't worry." Lex got to her feet, heading toward the girls' dormitories. "I've been waiting to tell this story for a couple weeks now. I'm not going to be late. Just make sure the others are there on time, too."

He waited until she got to the stairs to call out to her. "Oh, and Lex?"

She turned.

"…Welcome back."

Alexia smiled. That comment coming from anyone else might have made her roll her eyes. But from Cory? 

It just seemed more sincere.

---

Ryan was one of the few people in his house that didn't actually have an owl of his own, and that meant he had to use one of the owls from the aviary to deliver any sort of letter he happened to want to send. That was usually fine, except for the fact that he was sending a letter from Green to Anna, and that meant he really needed to try to find an owl that at least looked similar to Green's. After all, why would he use an owl that wasn't his own? Ryan was actually hoping that Magellan would show up, but so far, there was no sign of the great horned owl. And, as luck would have it, it didn't look like there were any great horned owls available that belonged to the school.

So, he had to improvise. Opening the envelope carefully, so as not to tear the paper, he added a script after the forged signature:

Please excuse the use of the school owl. Magellan is ill.

Taking out his wand, Ryan performed a heat spell that melted the wax seal on the envelop just enough to re-seal it. It looked as if it had never been open. Summoning the closest owl he could find, he sat it down on a poop-covered banister. "Okay. I know you have no idea who I am, but I need a favor. This is for Anna Emerson. She's a Ravenclaw. You can get it to her, right?"

The owl puffed up with a mixture of pride and indignation, which clearly meant, "Of course I can!"

"Good, good. Whatever reply she gives you… Whoever she tells you to send the next letter to… You have to come back to ME, okay? Promise?"

The owl looked slightly confused, but hooted anyway. Ryan handed him the letter. "There'll be some owl treats for you when you get back." Perhaps the mention of food would make the bird go a bit faster that normal? One could hope. He watched the owl fly off toward the Ravenclaw dormitories, and only turned away when it was out of sight. It was just about time for Quidditch practice; since there was nothing else better to do, and he already had his equipment anyway, he headed off toward the pitch.

He'd seen Alexia once or twice during the day, just in passing, though. He hadn't really gotten a chance to talk to her. Apparently she was going to tell her "story" before practice, as Cory said. It must have been weird for her, just going back to the normal daily routine after being a raven for a few days. She was in class, though.

"If I'd been transformed like that, I would have taken a few days to recover," Ryan said to himself, chuckling. Anything to get out of school for a while counted as a valid excuse. Upon reaching the bottom of the aviary steps, he picked up his broom and bag, which he'd left there to keep clean. The owls weren't exactly known for their remarkable cleanliness.

The walk to the field was nice… Though the weather was still chilly, it wasn't bitter, and there wasn't any snow to wade through. The ground was also thawing nicely. By the time their game against Gryffindor came around, the weather would actually be pleasant.

It didn't seem possible that almost a year had gone by, and he wasn't sure he wanted it to end. Though the Quidditch team had only been together for a year, it almost seemed like they were all best friends already. Cory would be gone after it ended, and Brad and Green would only have a year left. Then it would be Alexia's turn, and then Ryan himself would graduate, along with Luc. Kylee would be the last one left of the original Post-You-Know-Who Slytherin team. It seemed a long way off in technical time, but it really wasn't that long at all.

When he spotted the group of six people already on the Pitch, he quickened his pace a bit, smiling. He wasn't late by a long shot. In fact – he sneaked a glance at his watch – they were all a half hour early. Hopefully he hadn't missed anything… Knowing Brad, if the team was there early, he'd take advantage of it.

"Hey, guys," he said, waving as he climbed the slight incline up onto the pitch. His smile broadened when he spotted Alexia all suited up and tossing the Quaffle back and forth to Green and Brad. When she saw Ryan, she backed off from the triangle and practically tackled him in a hug. He chuckled. "What was that for?"

She backed off, holding her hand up for the Quaffle again, which Brad threw to her. "You're the only one I hadn't caught yet," was all she offered as an explanation.

"Yeah, well. We're all here. Hopefully you haven't told 'The Story' yet, 'cuz if you have, I wanna hear it, too." Ryan shrugged his school robe off his shoulders, wadded it up, and stuffed it in his bag. After digging around through books and parchment, he found his Quidditch uniform, which looked as if a hippogriff had used it for nesting material. Noticing the disapproving glances of his teammates, he said, "What? This is what wrinkle-removing charms are for." He waved the robe around a bit, and the wrinkles practically fell out of it.

"That's either very smart, or very lazy," Lucas drawled.

Alexia shook her head. "I'll go with the latter. Okay, guys. Story first. I've been waiting to tell it forever."

Brad looked as if he was about to protest, but his interest got the better of him, and he relented. "Go on. How'd you do it, then?"

"I've been going at this for five years now," she began. "Ever since I was a First-Year, and heard about animagi."

"You have this so scripted," Lucas smirked. Alexia threw the Quaffle at him, and he caught it, but only just.

"I had a lot of time to think about it," she replied.

"Go on, Lex," Cory encouraged.

"As I was saying, I've been thinking about this for five years. And I've been talking to Professor McGonagall on and off about it, and I finally started making some progress the end of last year. It takes a really complex series of spells, and some of them are easy enough to locate. But the final ones are really restricted for obvious reasons. So she made me tell the Ministry of Magic what I was up to before she'd give me permission to check books out of the library's restricted section.

"But I didn't know what animal I'd become. It's not something you can really choose. Well, some people can pick a particular animal and strive toward it, but according to the books, it always ends up being something different. Similar, but different. Like there was this one guy that was trying to become an iguana, but he ended up as a salamander… Which was almost useless. It's best to just let it happen how it happens."

"So, were you shooting for anything in-particular?" Green asked.

Alexia shook her head. "There were a couple things I would have liked to become, but… I didn't want to try to become, say, a cat and end up as a gopher or something. McGonagall said something about my 'inner animal.' …Yeah, it sounds lame, but the way she explained it… It made sense.

"Anyway. After talking with her for a while, she gave me access to get the book so I could do the final spell. After that, it should have worked… But it didn't. And she told me that some people just couldn't do it. So I stayed up all night this one time, and just… thought about it. My hands were hurting…" She held them up, displaying the now-healed pink scars. So that was where the red spots on her wings had come from, Ryan thought.

"…The quills started to grow through my skin. When I stopped concentrating, they stopped growing. It hurt."

Brad narrowed his eyes a bit. "So those times you weren't at practice, or left practice early…"

"I was either meeting with McGonagall or…" She dropped her hands back to her sides. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you guys. It was just that it was easier for me to do if I was sure you all weren't going to tease me about it."

"We were worried," Lucas said.

Kylee nodded. "We thought you were a werewolf! You'd always disappear around the full moon."

Alexia snorted. "Yeah, I heard. I wasn't even thinking about it."

"How'd you finally change?" Ryan asked.

"It was the weirdest thing… I was sitting in my room, and I was half asleep thinking about it… And I just… did." Alexia shrugged. "And I couldn't change back. So I panicked, and I ran – so to speak. The house was pretty empty, so… I don't even remember how I got out. It was a blur. I got out a window somewhere. And… You all know the rest. After I figured some stuff out, I came back."

"So your inner animal is a raven," Green wondered. "Interesting."

Alexia shrugged. "My father was in Ravenclaw."

"Wasn't your mom in Slytherin?" Ryan asked.

Alexia nodded, and Ryan looked pointedly at Green… Who pretended not to notice. So… A relationship between a Slytherin and a Ravenclaw _could _work, hm? Most interesting…

"If you're done, we've already lost fifteen minutes of our pitch time," Brad reminded everyone. As an afterthought, he added, "Glad you're back, Alexia."

…Business as usual.

Practice, of course, was rather broken up by the fact that the whole team was back together again and most of them just wanted to have fun. Brad and Lucas really seemed to be the only ones with their minds in the game, though Kylee did learn a new move that she was going to try to use against Gryffindor in the next game. They went nearly the whole two hours before Brad finally gave up trying to keep everyone together, and dismissed them.

When Ryan got back to his dorm, the owl he deployed earlier in the day was waiting for him. Sitting at its feet was the exact same letter he'd written, with one change. The words 'Return to Sender' were written across the front of the envelope.

He sighed.

---

 "Okay, team." Brad stood in front of everyone in the locker room. There was already a roar of voices coming from the field… The day had arrived. This was the game they'd all been waiting for.

Of course, Brad's speech was made somewhat less awesome because of the fact that Ryan was following him around, mimicking everything he did.

Kylee rolled her eyes, trying desperately to keep from giggling. It wasn't easy, considering the rest were already losing it, and Brad was trying unsuccessfully to salvage his pep-talk. Obviously, the Seeker thought, they didn't need a pep-talk. They were all in great spirits, and they knew they were going to win.

Brad paused, and Ryan seized the opportunity to take over. "…Okay, team! I want a clean game. I hope you all brought soap. Unfortunately, it actually _isn't _raining for once, so I hope we can get a hose on to the pitch to rinse everything off when we're done."

Lucas looked blank. Coming from a wizarding family, that didn't associate with Muggles, he was sometimes unclear as to certain Muggle artifacts. Like hoses.

"And," Ryan continued, "I'd like to remind Cory to let every possible shot through the rings."

Cory stood up and saluted. "Aye, captain."

Brad shook his head, trying to hide his face with his hand.

"Alexia. Green. Ryan." He pointed to himself. "Our job is to fly around and just look cool."

Green rolled his eyes.

Lucas, as usual, was standing near the window. "Looks like we're due out there," he said, nodding toward the pitch. "Gryffindor's already doing victory laps. I say we bring down their ego a few notches."

Ryan pointed dramatically to the locker room exit. "Away, then! To the pitch!"

As the rest stampeded out of the locker room, Kylee stayed behind to wait for Brad. He looked almost hurt. She didn't say anything at first, opting instead just to tag along behind him as he headed outside. The sun was actually warm for once, and the sky was clear. It really was an ideal day for Quidditch. "Hey Brad?" she finally prompted as they both mounted their brooms.

He looked at her. "Sometimes I just don't know why I'm the captain."

She'd never seen him question himself before. She hesitated just a moment before answering. "…Isn't it obvious? Do you really think Ryan would be able to keep us together like you have? He's… He's like a cheerleader. We need both of you, see? You do all the serious parts, and he gets to make sure everyone stays happy."

As they reached the field and Brad started to break away, Kylee saw him smile. Hopefully he'd be all right when the game started. She noticed he was down on himself lately… Maybe it was the stress they all had from being so close in points to both Gryffindor and Ravenclaw. Out of everyone, Brad wanted more than anyone to make sure Slytherin wasn't the horrible house everyone made it out to be.

She watched as he shook hands with Gryffindor's red-haired captain and chaser – Charlie Weasley. A moment later, the Quaffle was in the air, and Kylee hurried to get out of the way of the action. As usual, she flew above the field, looking for the tiny golden Snitch.

It usually took an hour or more to spot it, and that was with intense searching. She almost didn't want to blink, in case she happened to miss it in the microsecond it would take to open her eyes again. They really had to win this game if they wanted to still have a chance at getting the Quidditch Cup.

Five minutes went by before, impossibly, Kylee saw the Snitch. She watched it for a full second before diving after it, as she didn't seem to be able to believe it was actually there. As expected, she heard the roar go up from the Slytherin section, then a louder exclamation from the other three houses as Weasley joined the chase.

This was the moment Kylee had been dreading since the very first game against Gryffindor. Her heart was hammering in her chest, and though she tried not to overexert herself, the red-haired Seeker was gaining on her easily. Taking a chance, she swung her broom out to the side and back again, successfully knocking her opponent off course just enough so that she could jump ahead of him into the lead.

It wasn't enough. He was back again, and he was reaching. His arm was longer than hers… She wasn't going to be able to catch it.

Remembering one of the tricks Brad and Alexia had taught her, she went into a roll, trying to gain just a little bit of speed so she could have a much needed advantage. Too late, she realized that she'd taken her eyes off the Snitch. 

It didn't matter, though. As she closed her hand into a frustrated fist, she realized that she had it. A cheer went up from the Slytherin section.

"Well, I'll be," Charlie Weasley said, looking at her incredulously. "Good job, kid. Can't wait 'til we meet up next year."

And that was that.


	9. Between Here and Perdition

**Chapter Nine – Between Here and Perdition**

"Hey, guys. Look at this… The final point tallies before the last two games." Brad held out a sheet on which he'd hastily scrawled down some numbers. "This is with penalty corrections and such per house, and it's final as of now."

"So Ravenclaw is in the lead," Cory said, taking the paper. "But Gryffindor isn't too far behind us, and they'll win against Hufflepuff tomorrow. That'll put us in third going in against Ravenclaw."

"Well, technically, point wise," Brad said. "And then we'd need another hundred points just to tie Ravenclaw… How'd they get so far ahead?"

"Are you kidding?" Green leaned forward in his armchair, reaching toward the table and grabbing the sheet so he could take a look at it, too. "Ravenclaw's last game against Hufflepuff, remember? It was a total massacre."

The others nodded, murmuring their remembrance. Even if the Hufflepuff Seeker had been successful in catching _two _Snitches, they still would have lost badly. As it was, not only did Ravenclaw get all the points, but their Seeker was victorious in the end.

"If only Hufflepuff could have held them a little," Kylee said, fanning herself a bit with a book cover. The common room was incredibly hot. Too hot for so early in the spring. None of the students were actually in their dorms, since it was actually cooler in the common room than in was anywhere else in the House.

"That's what you get with so many of 'em on a team," Green stated matter-of-factly. "They just ruin it for the people that actually have a right to play the game."

Alexia rolled her eyes. "Muggle-borns have just as much right to try to play Quidditch as you or I," she said icily. 

Ryan glanced at her out of the corner of his eye… She wasn't exactly a Muggle-Lover, but the fact was, everyone was getting tired of Green's sudden and blatant attacks on students that weren't pure-blooded. Ryan knew why… He was still angry with Anna. Over the course of the past month, he'd tried everything to reconcile them, from more letters to messing up Quidditch schedules so Slytherin and Ravenclaw had the pitch at the same time… It was terrible. They were both as stubborn as they could possibly be.

"Right, so. Anyway." Brad was always good at interrupting tense situations… True, he tended to ignore matters he considered unimportant, but he definitely had a way of bringing people back on task. "Let's say Gryffindor wins the game. That'll put them way ahead where points are concerned. We may have to make sure we have a certain number of goals before Kylee gets the Snitch."

"We'll have to wait and see," Luc said. "There's no point in getting worked up over a score that hasn't even happened yet."

"We'll just have to hold off their Seeker," Kylee muttered. "I mean, there's a bunch of things I haven't done yet, like… You know. Feints and such. He'll catch on eventually, so I'll have to be careful…"

Ryan noticed she looked quite pale; more than usual anyway. Then again, she never really was well in the conventional sense. Perhaps she was just nervous about the game. Alternatively, Ryan could have just been imagining things. That was entirely possible. Still, Kylee looked excited, and her enthusiasm was catching.

"Now that we have all the chasers back, I bet we can score plenty to get past Gryffindor," Ryan said. "Seriously, even if Gryffindor gets over two-hundred points in the match, we just need to get one step in front of them. That's all we gotta keep thinking. One more step."

"I'll score my share of goals," Alexia said. "And I know Green will. There's nothin' to worry about, Brad. It'll be tough, but we can do it. All you and Luc have to do is keep the Bludgers off us and let us do our job."

Ryan glanced at Brad. He actually looked surprised that everyone was taking the meeting seriously. "Well, then," the captain said. "The whole of it is, we've only lost one game this year. I don't think we'll lose against Ravenclaw, but we also have to watch our points carefully. That said, it's about time we got down to the Pitch for practice."

Everyone groaned.

Brad laughed. "Ah, now that's more like it. I was afraid you were all getting too agreeable on me."

---

The next day, the Slytherin team got to the Pitch as early as possible to secure a good seat in the stands. Technically, they would be rooting for Hufflepuff, but only because they didn't want to see Gryffindor scoring an obscene number of points. The sooner the game ended, the better, because as more time passed, more goals could be scored.

Kylee was actually wrapped in a light jacket despite the warmth. At one point, Brad asked her if she was alright, but she only responded with a smile, and a sarcastic remark that even Ryan would have been proud of. She was tenacious, that much was for certain, and there was no mistaking why she was placed in the house she was in.

When Alexia finally arrived a couple minutes after the others, she was looking somewhat worried herself. Brad turned to her, earnestly hoping she wasn't coming down with anything. With Kylee not feeling one-hundred percent, he couldn't afford to have a Chaser down, too.

"Did you find out anything?" Green asked, watching the Pitch as the Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs got in their last practice. Brad looked at Alexia suspiciously as Cory idly picked a black feather out of her hair.

"…Yeah, before they saw me, that is. I don't know if they knew it was me or not, but I got out of there as fast as I could." She smoothed her gold and black sweatshirt down a bit – out of everyone on the team, she was the only one visibly supporting Hufflepuff. The rest were wearing Slytherin colors.

Brad rolled his eyes. "It's bad enough that we've been spying on the other teams at all, but I have to draw the line at sneaking up on them when they can't clearly see that it's you." He looked around, making sure any authority figures that happened to be in the area would have heard the admonishment. His duty as a captain done, he turned back toward the others, whispering now. "…So, what did you find out?"

"Well, they apparently brought in a coach for a day last weekend." Alexia said quietly, looking out toward the field as one of Gryffindor's chasers easily put a Quaffle through a ring. It was only practice, but it was an impressive shot. "Anyway, they have all these moves they're all excited about trying."

"Complicating matters if you ask me," Lucas drawled, boredly. "They're not professionals. They can't possibly be able to take in everything that a coach could tell them… Let alone in one day."

The other students were starting to file into the stands now. Gryffindor was first again, as usual. They seemed to think that showing up on the field first was somehow intimidating. At one point, one of the red-robed players on the field zoomed past the Slytherin stands, and Kylee leaned over to whisper to the others: "I think Weasley just flipped us off."

"Oh!" Alexia said, almost brightly. "I guess they figured out I was watching them over there, then."

Ryan merely wondered, "Can they get a penalty for that?"

It wasn't long at all before the game started. The Quaffle zoomed back and forth along the field, going through the Hufflepuff Keeper far more than in got past the Gryffindor Keeper. Still, Hufflepuff's Chasers were doing their job, and successfully defended several times. The problem was, they weren't scoring.

"At least it's not a near shut-out like the Hufflepuff-Ravenclaw game was," Brad muttered. If Gryffindor were to get the Snitch, which was quite likely, as the Hufflepuff Seeker had only caught one the whole year, Slytherin would have a hard time catching up points-wise.

"Don't worry. We'll still get it." Ryan leaned over the guardrail a bit to watch the game as it continued near the far end of the field. "It'll only—Hey, what's going on down there?"

Brad leaned over the rail, too, along with the other Slytherins who were close enough to do so. The Hufflepuff Seeker was clutching one arm as if his life depended on it, while he hung upside-down from his broom by his legs. Brad wondered, "Is he hurt?"

Kylee chuckled. "No, look. Something's moving under his hand… I bet he's got the Snitch. The Plumpton Pass… He accidentally caught it up his sleeve."

And so he had. After Madam Hooch declared Hufflpuff to be the winner of the match, it became the only game Hufflepuff won all year.

It was possible that the only team more astonished than Gryffindor were the Hufflepuffs themselves. It actually took them a while to let loose a celebratory cheer that was echoed in the Hufflepuff House stands, as well as those of Ravenclaw, and, to a lesser degree, Slytherin. It had been a pretty short game by most standards – just under an hour long – but everyone was so astonished at the fact that Hufflepuff actually won a game, that no one really cared.

"Well, I think they deserved it," Alexia said as they all made their way back to the Castle. She had the yellow hood of the sweatshirt up over her head to show her support for the winners. "They're really good sportsmen, and they needed a win. It was a good end-of-the-year gift for them."

"And us," Ryan noted. "Because there's no way Gryffindor can win the cup now. They're only fifty points up on us, and that brings it all down to us and Ravenclaw. I mean, we can get fifty points in a game, easily."

"I told you that you were worrying too much," Lucas said, turning to Brad and smiling a little bit.

Brad actually looked happier than he had in days. Still, he found it in his ability to lecture the others about the upcoming Ravenclaw game. "We're not out of the woods yet. Last game of the year is this weekend, and we have to win it. I want that Quidditch cup!"

"We all do," Cory agreed. Alexia nodded.

"And we'll get it," Kylee offered.

Brad seemed almost apologetic for a moment before he said, "Practice, every day this week. We only have the Pitch on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday, but we can practice on the grounds a bit, too. Not with the Bludgers or Snitch, of course, since they need to be contained in the Pitch… But we can do some flying and passing."

For once, no one argued.

"Six o'clock sharp then, on Monday," Brad added as they went their separate ways. He stood in the entrance hall, watching for a moment as they all disbursed. He had a really good feeling about their final game, but his heart sank as he noticed Kylee heading off to the hospital wing.

---

The Big Day was looming over everyones' heads. Between practice and schoolwork, there wasn't a member of the Slytherin Quidditch team that wasn't exhausted. Still, they were all excited about the coming game, and nothing, not even exams, could dampen their spirits. They did need to take all the practice thy could get, though… There wasn't any other option. They had to be at their absolute best for the Ravenclaw game. Even though Gryffindor had lost, Ravenclaw was still up a hundred points.

Which is why when they walked onto the Pitch on Wednesday to see that there was a photography entourage waiting for them, Brad wasn't too pleased. By the look of things, the Ravenclaw team had just had their practice cut short by the photographer's arrival, as the captain was scowling fierce enough to kill something.

Brad headed over to the Ravenclaw team, holding out his hand to the captain. "Bradley Orff. Do you have any idea what these clowns want?"

The other captain, a black-haired, brown-eyed boy, shook Brad's hand and shrugged a bit. "I'm Cecil Andary. Apparently they're here to take our picture for the _Prophet._ Since this is the first year Hogwarts has played Quidditch in a while, they're putting the winning team on the front page."

Brad rolled his eyes. "They couldn't do that after the match?"

"Hey," Cecil said, "I'm right angry, too. They cut off our practice by a half hour. N' I'm sure it'll dig into yours a fair amount. I suppose it's at least fair in that respect, but it's bloody inconsiderate. We even tried to contact Professor Flitwick, but he said there wasn't much he could do about it. I suppose Dumbledore has his reasons for them bein' here."

"Right. Okay then. Sorry to interrupt." Brad headed back over to the other Slytherins. "Cecil over there says they're taking our picture for the _Daily Prophet, _and that they couldn't wait until after the match."

The others stared at him. Finally, Lucas spoke. "Likely they want to get it printed as soon as possible."

"Even so," Alexia said. "They're taking away from our practice."

"…And theirs," Kylee added. She watched as the photographer lined the Ravenclaws up and situated them for a good photo.

He said something like, "Alright then! Look happy, like you just won!" And while they all complied, they didn't actually look remarkably happy. They were just about to get up when the photographer's pudgy assistants returned to the pitch with a large, old-looking box. "Wait one minute before you go," the cameraman said. "I just want to get a shot of you with this…"

And he took the Quidditch cup out of the box.

"No _Way!" _Cecil and Brad said at nearly the same time. Cecil marched up to the photographer, making the frail older man step back a couple paces. "You can't take our picture with the cup. Out of the question."

"But… I don't understand," The man said. "Why not?"

"It's bad luck, that's why," Brad added, crossing his arms and shouting it from his position across the Pitch. "You just don't handle the cup before it's awarded. That's just how it is!"

The man looked suddenly indignant. "You'll take your picture with the cup, or we'll wait here until you do!"

Faced with the prospect of completely losing a practice session, Brad blanched. It didn't much matter for the Ravenclaws, but…

Anna whispered something to Cecil, and to Brad's surprise, Cecil said, "Fine. Nobody touch it."

The photographer set the cup up carefully on the grass, and everyone present became quiet… Almost reverent. No one touched it, and very few on the Ravenclaw team even looked at it for very long. The picture was taken, and the Ravenclaws hurried off the field, not looking back.

"Alright, guys. Let's get this over with," Brad said. He didn't look at the cup, either, and allowed the photographer to arrange them as he saw fit. He handed Alexia a Quaffle, and gave Brad one of the bats. Lucas held something that looked like a Bludger, but it had the enchantment taken off of it so it didn't move. Green was handed an old broom. Lastly, he set a Snitch in front of Kylee. 

"That'll move when the picture's developed," the photographer explained.

Bored, Lucas drew his hood up over his head over and over again, until the photographer said, "Wait! Leave it there. That looks really hip. Gives a sort of dark feeling to you."

"…I'm not dark," Lucas grumbled. The photographer ignored him. Lucas left the hood in place.

Lastly, the assistants set the cup next to Kylee, and the photographer took her hand, and placed it on the side of the cup. Brad nearly jumped at her, but withheld himself with a muttered string of curse words and a sharp intake of breath.

"Okay, look happy!" The photographer instructed.

They tried their best, all except for Brad, who crossed his arms again and glared. Ryan was really the only one that could fake happy with any degree of success.

---

The weather held out until the next day, for which everyone was grateful. It was actually a little bit cooler, but for the purposes of playing the deciding Quidditch game, that was just fine. It was actually a night game as a special treat to the students, who would actually get to stay out on the castle grounds a little bit later than they otherwise were allowed. There were glowing orbs of light floating around the Pitch, conjured up by some of the staff prior to the match. They cast an interesting, almost warm glow, even though they were wholly intangible. The setting would have been serene, if not for the hundreds of cheering Quidditch fans.

Robed figures in blue and green hovered over the field, waiting for the Quaffle to enter play. The tension between the teams was so thick that even the crowd could feel it as Madam Hooch stepped onto the field… Their voices hushed as she tucked the Quaffle under her arm.

"Captains, shake hands," she said. Brad and Cecil met in the center of the field for the second time in as many days and exchanged a few words; perhaps of encouragement, perhaps something more unsportsmanlike… Lucas couldn't tell. He was too far back on the field already, keeping an eye out for the Bludgers, which had already been released.

He looked to Alexia, then Green and Ryan. They'd have to score if they wanted to stay in the game at all. They had a hundred points to cover, and that was just to tie. Kylee would have to get the Snitch, and Cory… Luc looked back at their Keeper. He appeared calm and confident, but that was possibly a show. As long as he kept the Quaffle out of the rings, everything would be well and good.

There was little doubt that everyone's hearts were hammering. The final game of the season, and it could actually go either way… If Kylee grabbed the Snitch fast enough, it could all be over, and Slytherin would hold the first Quidditch cup in almost a decade.

After what seemed hours, the Quaffle was in the air. Ravenclaw got it first, but Green intercepted a pass and tore off down the field toward the rings. Anna, however, was very much on her game, and stopped a beautiful shot. Taking the Quaffle, Ravenclaw made it all the way down the field before the play was broken up and they threw a shot too wide.

The play went back and forth like this for a long time until Cory finally let one through, and the score was ten to nothing in favor of the blue team.

The Slytherin chasers got it right back, though. In a pass spanning half the Pitch, Green got it to Alexia, who put it past Anna with ease. The two Seekers were almost completely forgotten amid the standoff that continued below them, until Lucas heard a shout from the Ravenclaw Seeker just above him.

He was pointing frantically to Kylee, who was barely hanging on to her broom with one hand, while her other hand clutched at her chest. She wasn't going to be able to hang on for too much longer. Lucas was hesitant to abandon his post in the air, but he was also adverse to allowing a teammate to fall off her broom; she was pretty high. If she hit the ground from that height, it wouldn't be pretty.

Making his decision, he tore off down the field, watching helplessly as her tenacity finally failed her and she lost her grip on the handle. The broom hovered there aimlessly, and it was only then that Luc noticed that the Ravenclaw player followed him down the field. While the Seeker went after the errant broom, Lucas dove after Kylee, catching her just a couple feet above the ground. The force knocked both of them backward, and Luc lay there breathless with Kylee, motionless on top of him.

He vaguely remembered Brad calling a time-out.

The medical team was hurrying onto the field.

Green-robed people were landing all around him.

As one of the nurses lifted Kylee onto a floating stretcher, Lucas said, "I don't think she's conscious…" Her face was so pale. Her eyes were closed.

And then she was gone, lost among the response team as they hurried her off toward the castle.


	10. The End of the Long Road

**Chapter Ten – The End of the Long Road**

            Lucas was almost too stunned to focus again. He kept muttering things about how Kylee didn't look well, and how he almost hadn't reached her in time. It took Brad grabbing his shoulders and giving them a good shake to pull him out of it.

"She'll be fine. You did the right thing," the Captain said. He was looking away now, toward Madam Hooch, and waving her over.

"I do hope Kylee's okay," the woman said as she reached them, "However, you can't delay the game for longer than a time-out calls. I know you won't want to forfeit this one."

"No," Brad said. "Look, I know the rules. I know we can't make a substitution from players that aren't playing. But can I designate someone else to be the Seeker?"

Hooch arched her thin, greying eyebrows and pondered this for a moment. "There's nothing in the rules that says you can't… But you'll have to make sure that both teams know. And whomever you designate has to take on the full roll of the Seeker; no double-duty."

"Right, right," Brad said, looking to the others in turn. If they didn't make the substitution, Lucas knew there was no way they could win. They'd need to get the Snitch, and only the Seeker could do that. Everyone looked to Alexia, the obvious choice… Beside Kylee, she was the best flier, and the lightest.

Before anyone could say anything, she stepped forward. "I can do it."

"…No," Brad said.

"No?" Lex repeated.

He shook his head. "No. I want Lucas to do it." For a while, the others looked at Brad like he'd lost his mind. Lucas was one of the heavier players on the team, right next to Brad and Green. He wasn't exactly the ideal Seeker. Besides, Alexia had been the one practicing along with Kylee… "Listen," Brad continued. "I need all my Chasers, and I'd switch Alexia for Luc, but Luc can't score goals like the others can. And I need to be in the middle of the game; I'm the captain. Lucas, that makes you the only choice."

Hesitantly, Luc nodded.

"Lucas Redmond will be your Seeker for the remainder of the game then?" Hooch asked. Brad nodded, and the referee raced off on her broom to notify the commentator of the change in roster.

The amplified voice came in loud and clear. "Fourth Year Lucas Redmond will be taking over the roll of Seeker for the rest of the match! With a reconfiguring like this, things are really looking bad for Slytherin. Hopefully—"

"Just don't pay attention to him, or anything else," Brad said, drawing Lucas' attention back into their little huddle. "Catch the Snitch. Make it as quick as possible…" His shoulders slumped noticeably, and as Madam Hooch returned to tell them they'd need to get back into the air, Brad actually smiled a bit. "I don't care if we win anymore. Let's just give them a good fight. I'm proud of you all."

"Ready?" Hooch asked. In response, the team took to the air, and once more, she tossed the Quaffle into play.

The difference was noticeable immediately. Though the only thing Slytherin's team lost was a Beater, it seemed to show up in the overall stress on everyone's mind. They were all worried about Kylee, and Ravenclaw was taking advantage of that. Cory let four easy shots through in a row, compared to Slytherin only scoring one. 

Overall, the worst thing about the match was that Ravenclaw was playing terribly. It wasn't that they were being unsportsmanlike; it was just that they were sloppy. Passes failed, shots went wide. It should have been an easy game for Slytherin to take over and win. However, Ravenclaw had what the other team did not – confidence. And their minds were all in the game, especially when Cory let two more goals in, barely exerting any effort to stop them.

Seventy to twenty. There was no way they could win now, Lucas though, dejectedly, as he continued searching frantically for the Snitch. It kept his mind off of the fact that he'd seen Kylee fall. He saw her pale face and her lightly closed eyes. The weirdest thing was, she hadn't appeared to be in any pain when he caught her…

Suddenly, the Snitch whizzed by in front of him, and his mind was torn away from his teammates fall and focused solely on catching the elusive little ball as it tore off down the field. He dodged past one of the Ravenclaw Chasers and was already circling back around before the opposing Seeker joined the chase. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw some people dressed in white hovering on the edge of the field, and then in an instant his vision was swimming with the House colors as he flew past the Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin stands. There was almost too much to take in at once, as he'd never had to fly so fast. His job mainly consisted of hovering at one end of the field or the other and hurling bludgers at people. In comparison to Seeking, _that _was easy!

Lucas was aware of the other Seeker in the periphery of his vision as the blue cloth of a Ravenclaw sleeve began whipping around his face. He tried to focus his attention on the Snitch in front of him, and block everything else out. He had to get it. If he got it, they'd win the game… If not, it would be all over.

And then, he closed his hand around it. In that fraction of a second, he'd won Slytherin the game.

At that point, he didn't care if it was enough for the House cup. What mattered was that the people in the stands were on their feet cheering; all of them. His team was gathering around to congratulate him. For one beautiful moment, he was elated, and the first thing he said to the others as they touched down on the ground was, "That was for Kylee."

Their smiled faded when one of the people in white broke from the sidelines and hurried in their direction. The Ravenclaws were hovering just on the outside of the Slytherin huddle, waiting to congratulate them on the victory, but they, too, turned their attention to the pudgy little doctor who was hurrying toward them. Madam Pomfrey herself had come to the Quidditch Pitch.

For a moment, she looked between the two teams, then headed toward the Slytherins, eventually drawing Brad aside. She whispered something to him.

What Lucas saw next would remain forever in his memory. Their captain, as strong as he was, suddenly couldn't support himself on his own two feet. He sank heavily to his knees, burying his head in his hands as Madam Pomfrey backed off, folding her hands in front of her and looking away. It was as if the light had gone from the field, even though the orbs still shining brightly; the hush that fell over the crowd was tangible as both the Slytherin team and the Ravenclaws approached Brad to hear the news.

He turned to them, his face already wet with tears. Lucas shook his head… It couldn't be…

"It was her heart," Brad said. "She just had a weak heart. She couldn't… She shouldn't have been playing. I knew that…"

Alexia's hands were already covering her mouth. Her eyes were wide.

"But she wanted to," Brad continued. "I couldn't say no…"

The Ravenclaws looked away.

Cory actually sobbed.

No one had to say it for it to be true. Kylee was dead.

There was a long silence then, almost as if no one was quite sure what to say. The Slytherins looked at each other… Perhaps hoping that Brad would suddenly smile and say something along the lined of, "Just kidding! She's fine!" He didn't. All he could do was sit there, looking shocked. Alexia turned to Cory and cried into his shoulder, while Green and and Ryan bowed their heads. Lucas couldn't believe it. She had looked so peaceful when he caught her…

Maybe she'd already been gone by then.

Their sorrow was interrupted by Madam Hooch, who cleared her throat politely to alert the others to the fact that she was there. Gently, she informed them that the Quidditch points were now tied between Slytherin and Ravenclaw… Lucas couldn't remember her exact words, but she said something about having a shoot-out. They'd just have to play until one of the teams scored.

Cecil Andary stepped forward. "Isn't there another way you can determine the winner?" he asked.

"I'm afraid not," Hooch said, not unsympathetically. "Either of you could forfeit the game, but then it would go to House point totals. The cup would go to Gryffindor."

Brad dug his fingers into the ground, forcing himself to his feet. "We're not going to give up."

"She put her all into the game," Ryan said. "We have to at least finish it."

No one knew what to say. It was as it they'd forgotten how to play Quidditch. Madam Hooch actually had to tell them to get into formation above the field. She even had to do the toss-up twice, because neither of the teams' Chasers had gone after the Quaffle.

When Lucas looked up, Cecil had the Quaffle in his hand. He looked around the field to the rest of his team, and then threw a pass…

Right to Green.

For a moment, Green didn't know what to do. As if in a panic, which was uncharacteristic for him, he threw the Quaffle back to a Ravenclaw Chaser, who tossed it right back.

Cecil waved him toward the rings.

Still in shock, Alexia and Ryan followed Green down the field. Why were they giving the game away?

It didn't matter if they won. But it sure would be nice to be able to put Kylee's name on the cup.

Both teams hovered around the rings as Green faced off against Anna. They stared at each other for nothing more than a moment, and then she moved aside.

Though it was probably the easiest goal in Quidditch history, it was the hardest game won in a very long time.

---

The award ceremony should have been a happy time, but it wasn't. Brad stood in the press box with the Quidditch cup on the chair beside him. Already, magically, the names of the Slytherin team had been engraved around the bottom ring. The names would likely change next year, but right now, it was theirs.

Everyone knew by now what had happened, and the usually noisy pitch was quiet as Brad waited not to deliver a victory speech, but a eulogy.

"Hey," he started. "I've never done one of these speeches before, so… Bear with me while I think on it for a moment. I don't know what to say, really. Kylee Hasek came to me at the beginning of the year. She wanted to play, so I gave her a chance.

"Some say the fault would… rest on me… That she died. I thought about that, and I felt bad for a bit, but… What really would have been a crime is if she'd never gotten a chance to do something she loved. Something she was good at… Not that she wasn't good at a lot. Kylee was everyone's best friend. I don't think there was anyone here that didn't like her."

He looked around him, especially at the four teams standing down on the field. They weren't separate, but standing together. Perhaps that was one of the best gifts Kylee had left them. Cory stood with Alexia, and they were right in between a couple Gryffindors who were offering their sympathy. Green leaned heavily on Anna, who was trying her best to support his weight; she was aided by one of the Hufflepuffs, who leaned on her from the other side.

"It's kinda funny, you know…" He continued, "How much we've been through to get here. And how we waited almost nine years to play again, hiding in fear from He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, when it didn't even take a Dark Wizard to—" He couldn't finish the statement, but everyone knew what he was going to say. They'd been afraid of the wrong thing.

"Aesop told a fable once. He was a writer. A Muggle, back a long time ago. It was about a deer who was blind in one eye, and she'd feed on a cliff that stood right next to a lake. That way, she could keep her good eye on the forest, since that's where she expected to find the hunters. But she was struck down by an arrow that came from the water… I guess it's true that danger comes from where we least expect it. I went through this season urging my team to win, but I didn't see what I was doing to them until we played this game.

"As captain of the winning team, I suppose I have a say about what goes on the cup. Kylee's name is first…" He held it up, pointing it out even though no one could see it. "But Ravenclaw's names are all going to go on here, too. They could have easily gotten that win, and they didn't. They deserve the honor just as much as we do."

He looked as if he was about to say something else, then he backed away. There really wasn't anything else to say.

---

The next day, they sat at their table in the Great Hall feeling tired, despite their victory. There was an empty seat, and it just didn't feel right.

Green had his head down on his hands, his eyes studying the grain of the wood, when he felt a tap on his shoulder. Turning, he saw Anna standing there, with a slight, albeit sad smile on her face. In her hand was a paper, which she held out toward him. He took it and unrolled a copy of the _Daily Prophet, _which had not one, but two pictures on the front page.

"I didn't know if you'd gotten yours yet," Anna explained. "My owl… brought mine to my room early this morning."

The picture on the left was the Ravenclaw team, who smiled and waved to the camera. They seemed sad, though, in a way, as if they were all aware of that had happened. Impossible as it was, it was very convincing.

On the right was the picture of the Slytherin team – all of them. Even Kylee.

She was smiling as well, acting as if nothing was wrong as the others held up the cup. Brad was the only one in the picture that looked horribly grumpy, but Alexia was trying to cheer him up by poking him in the side.

It wasn't working too well.

"I wish I'd smiled," Brad said, though he couldn't keep the chuckle out of his voice.

"Hey, it gives you character," Ryan returned offhandedly, watching the paper a little longer. The Kylee in the picture paused in her victory waving, and seemed to focus on those outside the newspaper. She pointed at her heart, then pointed at her head.

"…She knew," Cory said.

"At least she was doing something she loved," Alexia added, as Green handed the paper back to Anna. Eventually, they'd get their own copies.

They were silent for a moment, lost in their own memories as Anna went off to join the Ravenclaw table again. Finally, Ryan smiled. "She played with her heart. She gave it her all, and she never gave up. It didn't matter if we won, or lost; didn't matter what the weather was. She didn't care how she was feeling, she just played, and she did her best."

One statement seemed like a fitting account for the life of a person they'd never forget. Someone who exemplified all the great qualities of a House whom so many had dismissed as Dark and without redemption. 

Brad smiled and whispered, "It's all in how you play."


End file.
